


Upon Ruby Wings and Bright Blue Eyes

by Risen_Angels



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Half-dragon Striders and Pyropes, Idk how bad it will be though, M/M, Multi, Swearing, Violence, first fic, fluff and maybe angst, main ships are John/Dave and Dirk/Jake, possible triggers in chap.12: Medigos, pretty cool, read the notes on that chapter, slow relationship build, so of course I'm putting a trigger warning for that chap., that chap. contains Damara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-15 02:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 134,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5767429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Risen_Angels/pseuds/Risen_Angels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave's half dragon and after being cooped up in the under ground city after the war between humans and dragons, he decides to venture out, only to follow a blue haired boy out of the town of Skia (without him knowing) and saving his butt from a monster. He's hurt badly and can't make it home, and so its now up to a certain Blue eyed Beauty *cough* John Egbert *cough* to repay the favour. </p>
<p>-However, by repaying this favour, John is whisked away into a world of myth and magic which was previously in hiding, where his family and the new friends he makes must full fill a destiny millenniums in the making. It's a battle between the Light and Darkness, and at the moment the light is dead and the Darkness is corrupting the world.</p>
<p>Will they be able to defeat the Lord of Darkness as the prophecy foretells, or will they fall?-</p>
<p>My First Fan Fic ever, so I hope you all enjoy!!!</p>
<p>===NO LONGER ON HIATUS!!! NEW CHAPTER POSTED!!!!===</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ruby Red Scales

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this is My First Fan Fic Ever, and I would really like comments about how it is and anything I need to improve on. I LOVE pepsi-cola and PumpkinPatch so those will probably be the main ships. Also idk how often I will update this, but I will! Now please enjoy the story!!! ^w^

He was running for his life through the woods, smacking himself on the head for how much of a stupid fucking idiot he had been. Never trust a human, was what Bro had always told him, yet he let a pair of bright, sky blue eyes get the better of him.  
This man’s name is Dave Strider, and boy is he in a lot of shit.

He and his brothers aren’t exactly “Normal”. In fact, they aren’t even close to normal. The Striders come from a long line of half Blood-dragons, meaning they’re, well, half winged fire breathing fucking lizards.  
Yeah, not even close to normal. 

There are actually a lot of their kind, him and his brother being the purest of the bloodline. The second closest would have to be the blind dragon chick Terezi. Terezi, her sis, Latula, and their mother are part of the royal court, advising the Striders when justice should happen or for when mercy take its place. Being the most pure, the Striders bloodline have lead their race for millennium, with Dave’s bro, Dirk, taking the throne in a matter of months.  
However, Dave couldn’t give a flying fuck about whose taking the throne, as he was holding his side, crimson blood sliding down and mingling between ruby red scales, and ignoring the pain of his half sliced off wing, unable to use his magic to absorb it or change his form. 

He was running through the wood towards what he thought (hoped) was the way to the entrance to the underground world he called home. He thought back to how he got himself in this mess. Dave had followed a raven haired, blue eyed dude from the village.  
The Village the guy came from is the closest to the entrance to their underground world, and Dave hated being underground all the time, so today he had snuck out to check out the village, it being a few mile away. At that point in time he was in his most human form, his bright red eyes hidden through tinted glasses. When he walked through the town, which he soon found was named “Skia”, he had spotted the guy walk out of a bakery carrying a basket, a blue plaid napkin over it. He didn’t know why, but he was drawn to the guy. He had started followed him, and he had since named him “dork” due to the dorky pair of glasses the blue eyed dude had on. “Dork” had left the safety of the village and had traveled along an old beaten dirt path that was surrounded by the forest. 

Dave, being impatient, decided to change into his true half dragon form as soon as the village was out of site. He then followed the Dork, stealthily climbing a tree and following from above, making mental notes about the kid. He was about Dave’s age, or the closest equivalent to it in human years. Dave was hundreds of years old, but his age equalled that of a 17 year old dragon, the boy below him looked about 16 or so. The Dork had uncontrollable black hair, that had a tint of blue to it, and it flared out every which direction with a slight curve. Dave couldn’t believe how messy it was. He was a dragon, and yet his hair was far better groomed than that human. He rolled his eyes, thinking, what a dork, but continued to look at the carefree guy as he twirled around on the palms of his feet down the path. He also noted the bright sky blue of his eyes and the slight over bite and buck teeth the guy had. While looking at his apparel Dave only then realized how poor the kid looked. He was wearing tatter, beaten up clothes, which held some tint or shade of blue to them, and he had nothing on his feet. 

Dace frowned, unknowing what made money so important to these people. It hindered others ability to live, and having too much made some people go crazy with power. He had wondered how these people, who are descendants of his ancestors just as much as he, ever thought of such a ridiculous idea. Ignoring obvious criticism to the culture he turned back to the dork, who had since moved a good sized tree off the path. The boy below looked buff, and well feed. Dave sniff the air and noted how the guy smelt like cakes. He probably works for the bakery or the farmers, though Dave as he hurried from tree to tree to keep up with the guy. 

Soon they had come upon a small waterfall, if you could even call it that, with a thin, narrow stream feeding it. At the bottom it pooled into a clear, waist deep pond. To the left, beside a huge tree, which looked nearly as old as Dave’s bro, stood a heart shaped stone. The Blue eyed boy had made his way over to it, as did Dave. Dave stealthily slid into the old tree and perched just above where the boy was, laying on his stomach and letting his appendages hang loosely. 

 

\---The edges of Dave’s vision started to blur, turning the dark forest around him into dark shadows. He was losing a lot of blood and slowing down. However, when he hear the blue eyed boy call his name from a short distance away, he picked up speed once more, legs aching from the sprinting.---

 

The boy pulled out a blanket from the basket (turns out that napkin was actually a huge ass blue plaid blanket), and two pieces of cake. Dave’s mouth began to water cause FUCK that smelt good. The guy put one piece down at the base of the stone, and the other in front of him. Dave had saw the sad look on the guys face, and it was heart breaking.  
“Hey mom…,” the guy spoke, his voice was sweet and calm, “It’s me, your son, John.”

John. Dave had mouthed the name and smirked. He began to think that maybe he’d ask John for a piece of ca-

“I brought you some of dad’s homemade cake, like I do every year! It’s been a while since I came to see you… I’m sorry about that. There’s been a lot of problems at the bakery! Though you probably already know,” Here he lets out a small laugh, though it’s filled with more sadness then humour, “anyways, dad gave me the day off and I thought I’d come here early.” John had since laid his hand out on the stone and wiped some dust and dirt from the edges and smiled softly at it. 

Dave had felt as if his heart was being stabbed. He remembered how for most of the afternoon he mostly just watched the boy talk to the stone, his mom, and look about aimlessly. He had found out the guys last name is Egbert (Dave totally decided that name was hilarious) and that today was his 16th birthday (called it). But once John started going on about theatre and this actor name Mchono-whatever, Dave had zoned out and began to think as the sun started to set. 

Dave had thought of his parents, this whole thing bring back little memories of them. Their father had married the Queen, their mother, and had them. Their mother had lovely, bright yellow scales, and their farther a dark burgundy. Dirk, being a few hundred years older than himself, had known them a lot longer than Dave. When Dave had turned about 500 and some years old (he was about the size of a human 6 month old, but he was able to comprehend as much as any 5 year old, which is why his memories of this time are still fuzzy) a great war between the humans and the dragons broke out, their people caught in the midst. Dave only remembered his parents, both of them, having to go and fight. Their people had eventually sided with the dragons after the humans started to lash out at them too because of their half blood. After they had left to fight, he never saw them again. Since then his bro, Dirk, had started learning how to become a king. Dirk didn’t take anything well, however, and had self-destructive tendencies. He locked himself away in his chamber, cursing anyone who disturbed him. He kept a stoic expression constantly, only ever revealing anger or mistrust in his features, and he often strifes with Dave or any guards when he had too much stress. Sometimes he would overdo it and leave a deep gash on his opponent. He never meant to do it, Dave knew this much, but others didn’t and soon started to fear him. This only encouraged Dirk to lock himself away, keeping few close friends by his side.  
Dave had been pulled from his thoughts by a blood curdling scream. 

Dave’s eyes had shot down below him, where John was pushed up against the tree, his facile features contorting into pure horror. Dave’s eyes had shot forward to see a hulking, green mass just behind the leaves of the tree. Orc, was all Dave thought before he jumped quietly into the crouching position on the branch. When Dave moved closer to the outer edge of the branch, Dave got a better look of the hideous monster. Its skin was an ugly, vile green; it was wearing a feathered necklace with bones as the main decorations; its nose was short and scrunched, several small bone piercings through it, its eyes small but wide at the same time, and it had no hair on its head. It was wearing the skin of its prey, carrying a huge bone and wood club, and smiling down at John with a hideous, crooked, wicked smile. 

The orc laughed at Johns screams when he approached, causing a low growl to emanate from Dave in anger. He HATE creatures like that, ones that took pleasure in others misery. The growl was what gave him away. John and the orc had stopped in their tracks and looked up in the tree. Dave looked down at John, who eyes were blown wide. From fear or awe, he couldn’t tell at that point or give a shit about. He then looked at the Orc who could barely see him, but see him none the less. 

 

\---Dave’s vision depleting further. He had taken the remains of his burgundy shirt and tied it around the gashes on his arms and body, however he couldn’t do anything about his wing. He heard footsteps, but they sounded so distant he wasn’t sure if John would pass him until he saw the black mop of hair and blue eyes coming through the bush, only then realizing that his hearing must be weakening too with the blood loss…---

 

The Orc had let out a ground shaking cry, and began to charge upon seeing the scales. Dave bared his teeth and lunged at the Orc before he could hurt John. In all honest, Dave didn’t know just WHY he was doing all this for John (even now, as he slowed to a halt and collapsed on a bolder due to the blood lost and exhaustion, just a few hundred feet away from the entrance to his home, he still doesn’t know), a guy he never meet, let alone a HUMAN, but some part of him told him it was for the best.  
John let out a scream when Dave and the Orc collided, a bundle of red scales and feather amongst green and pelts. Dave had scratched at the orc, his talons digging in and ripping the flesh on the monsters chest and arms to the bone, his teeth digging into the shoulder which arm held the weapon, trying to dislocate or severe it all together.  
The Orc wasn’t having any of his shit.

It had body slammed that side of its body onto the ground, crushing Dave under its massive weight. He let go as his breath was knocked out of him, giving the Orc the opportunity to get up, turn around and slam its club down onto Dave’s right wing. Dave had let out a scream of agony because the amount of force caused his wing to fucking break, and man did he feel it. The Orc repeated this movement until the joint of his wing was nearly falling apart and severing his wing in two. The monster then reached down and picked up the whimpering and crying Dave. Yep, all cool dragon look gone, because his wing was broken, and the chance of it healing properly in this condition was impossible, and he knew it. The Orc took hold of Dave throat, causing Dave to claw at it as he began to suffocate. 

Just as Dave’s vision started to blotch, he heard a voice, a yell. The Orcs head had snapped to the side, while Dave slowly, barely turning his head before he caught sight of John who….

Well… shit…

John’s eyes had started to glow a bright blue, his hands balled up into fists, blue magic emanating from his eyes, core and fists. He was standing on the heart rock under the Tree with the most pissed off face I think he could muster, fear still present as well. The wind picked up considerably and it started to knock the Orc around, so much so that he dropped Dave to the ground.

CRACK… well there goes my hand, thought Dave as he laid on the ground and winced in pain. 

The wind then picked up tenfold, and started to pic the Orc up in the dark evening sky (Dave realized only now how dark it actually had gotten, thank god for his slight night vision), the Orc howling in protest the whole way. It was nearly 600 feet in the air when the wind moved it a few miles east, away from the village and Cave entrance (Thank Fuck). Then it stopped abruptly. Dave watched as the Orc plummeted to earth, only to disappear behind the tree line. But he knew it hit the ground and wasn’t getting back up when he could feel the vibrations of it from here. 

Dave remembered slowly siting up and checking himself. He had a broken hand and a nearly severed wing, which, with the rest of the deep gashes on his arms and torso, were bleeding pretty badly. When Dave had felt a hand on his shoulder he jumped and spun around, tackling the culprit… John. Of. Fucking. Course.

The guy’s eyes were no longer glowing, nor was any part of him for that matter. However his eyes and face had look to them that said he was scared and… worried?

Dave had quickly gotten off of John, who stood up just as fast and approached him. Dave started to back up, but when John didn’t stop, he turn and bolted as fast as he could with all these injuries, John running after him at a much slower rate.

And that’s how Dave got here, laying against a boulder, bloodied and wrecked, just a few years from safety, with a Blue eyed, raven haired boy named John-Fucking-windy-boy-Egbert staring him down just a few feet away. Dave adverted his eyes and cursed, knowing John followed the blood trail he had left.

John approached Dave, who flinched slightly, and sat down next to him. Dave had his eyes trained the opposite direction from John, and tensed up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t move, he was stuck, and that’s all he could do.  
“Hey…,” said John softly and cautiously. Dave gulped and slowly turned and faced John, blood-red ruby eyes meeting elegant, sky blue ones.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he continued, “I’m here to help.”


	2. Through Blue Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is through John's Point of view!!!! He's determined to save Dave, even if he starts to be a sarcastic asshole. Johns family gets involved and its awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this! Please ignore any grammatical or spelling mistakes please! I noticed I made a few in the last Chapter and I plan on fixing them when I'm done some more plot. I probably won't be able to post back to back like I had just did with these two Chapters with the rest of them, but I promise I'll post these as soon as possible.

John, he thought to himself as he carried a bloody, half conscious dragon guy on his back through the dark woods, what the ever loving heck are you doing???!!!

After the red dragon guy saved him, the guy bolted without so much of word. John wouldn’t have it though and followed, following the blood trail whenever he lost sight of him. John really didn’t want the guy to die because he had just saved Johns life and he felt now it was his turn to save his.

John had followed him for a good hour after that, only then resorting to tracking him after losing sight completely, which is how he ended up stumbling upon the half-dragon guy lying against a boulder looking very pale. The Dragon guy quickly did a once over of John before he looked away quickly, while John was still looking at him in awe.

The guy had beautiful ruby red scales which were slightly tinted crimson running along the sides of his face and back, only some creeping onto his chest and abdomen. John had also noted how lean the guy looked, as he was skinny yet he had a lot of muscle. Instead of webbing on his wings he had long, soft yet sleek looking feathers which were the same colour of his scales, though one of his wings were beaten so badly john could have sworn the end at the joint was hanging on by a thread. Those same feathers were also at the end of his long tail, which looked to be about as long as the guy was tall. His skin was white as snow (though john thought that could be from the blood loss) and he had platinum blonde hair. John grimaced at the long gashes over the guy’s body, realizing how much pain he must be in because of John.

After gaping at the beautiful yet sad sight (beautiful?, John thought, only to decide that yes, the guy was quiet beautiful in a totally majestic sense and possibly not an attractive one) he approached the dragon guy, not wanting to scare him like last time.

He had placed his hand on his shoulder and felt the guy tense up, so he did his best to ease the guy’s thoughts or worries.

“Hey…,” John had said trying to get the guy’s attention while trying not to scare him. The Dragon guy had slowly turned his head, which was how John’s bright blues first caught sight of those ruby reds.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said honestly, “I’m here to help.”

After he said those words the guys pupils, which looked remarkable cat like, dilated, and were the only part of his stoic face that gave any hint he was surprised. John then turned his attention to some of the biggest gashes on the guy, who he is now naming “red” because, he a red frickening dragon. John saw the remains of what John thinks was red’s shirt are tied around his waist, and even though the article of clothing is red you can obviously see the blood soaking through. John leaned forward to undo the make shift gauze before halting and glancing up at Red, who was watching him intently, wonder and confusion now written all over his face.

John flicked his eyes back down at the shirt and then up at Red hoping to relay what he wanted to do. Red had held his breath momentarily after what john assumed was him receiving the message and before Red slightly nodded. John turned back to the gauze and had quickly gone to work untying it and removing the thing carefully. John frowned as the gashes under the shirt were long and deep, but not too much so that stitches wouldn’t help. John was relieved by that realization and quickly put the shirt back around and tying it, trying to ignore the painful grunt that emanated from Red. John then pulled off his shirt and moved to his wing. Red, however, pulled his wing away slightly when John was about to put his shirt over it, crying out a little in pain.

“Ok, ok, ok I’ll leave you wing alone,” John said before moving back in front Red and trying his shirt over the red one to help stop the bleeding, “How are you holding up?” John mentally smacked himself, because there was no way Red underst-

“Peachy,” the dragon said through gritted teeth, sarcasm dripping from his words, “Just fucking Peachy.”

John gaped at Red, who soon rolled his eyes. “Hey, John, would you please close your mouth,” Red said before smirking, “It ain’t nice to look at a lady like that, no matter how pretty she is.” John’s cheeks had started to burn up and he clamped his mouth shut before stuttering, “O-oh s-sorry I, uh, didn’t m-mean to stare!” he thought for a second, “… You’re a Girl…?” John looked confusedly at Red before red laughed lightly, “No I’m not a girl, or I wouldn’t have ripped my shirt off and tied it around my waist, you Dork.” John crossed his arms and glared at the chuckling guy before turning away, beginning to wonder what made he come and help this asshole.

Oh right… he saved his life.

“Right, well anyways…” John trailed off as he turned his head expectantly. “Dave” was all the guy said after he composed himself into a poker face. “Ok, well anyways DAVE, is there any place I could take you so you’d be safe? Or to someone that could, I don’t know, do something to heal you?” John looked worriedly at Dave’s wounds and then his eyes, which were becoming foggy and distant. Dave shook his head and began to stand, “Nah, I’m good, thanks anyway Egbutt.” John was about to object to that horrible play on his last name when he lunged forward to catch Dave as he fell forward.

John stumbled back a bit before regaining his balance and holding up the very weak Dave, who was leaning all his weight on John. “Yeah, no, you can’t even stand by yourself let alone walk around.” Dave began saying something incoherent into John’s shoulder, and John rolled his eyes at the protest. “Well I’ll just take that as, why no John, I don’t have anywhere to go-“ John began to shuffle Dave around to be behind him, “- I would love to come with you back to the safety of your wonderful village- “ John knelt down so Dave would drop forward onto the upper part of his back- “why you’re so strong and handsome John, how you do it-“ John grabbed Dave’s hands that were dangling around his shoulders and clasped them together, then he leaned forward and hauled the rest of Dave onto his back, grabbing the guys legs and holding them in the joint of his arm, Dave’s tailing dragging on the ground- “oh thank you John for your wonderful, kind hea- OW HEY!”

John turned his head to see Dave biting his shoulder. “Sorry Egbert,” Dave said with a weak smirk as he let go to rest his chin on the offending bite mark, “had to stop you somehow, and your shoulder was the closest thing to my mouth.” John rolled his eyes, but before he could continue he heard a quiet “thanks” from his shoulder and smiled.

That’s how he had gotten himself into what he’s doing now. He had been walking (since running or jogging had caused Dave to whimper in pain, though every time you brought it up Dave was certain he never made such noise) for about an hour back to down. Dave had passed out about 20 minutes into the walk, previously making witty and sarcastic remarks (“So… you’re part dragon?” “Nooooooo, I’m half jack rabbit, Egbutt” “Stop calling me that!”), and that left John enough time to think things out.

Hey, thought John, maybe this dragon dude Dave could tell me why I can control the wind.

Ever since John was little, he and his cousin, Jade, started to notice strange things. When John was 5 and he threw a fit, the wind outside would pick up gradually until he was calmed down, one time nearly blowing their humble town away! Jade, on the other hand, was able to levitate objects, the first experience being when she got the cookie jar from the top shelf of the cabinet when she was only 4. Both of them had told each other about these powers and promised to each other they wouldn’t tell anyone. They hadn’t told Jane, John’s older sister, Jake, Jade’s older brother or his Dad (Jade and Jake now live with him and his dad after a hunting accident that took both their parents lives). Magic had been ban for a lot of years, ever since the “Dragon War”, which most people now consider nothing but a fairy tale (but considering I have a dragon on my back, thought John, those people are full of bull). If him and his cousin were convicted a warlock and witch, they would be killed on sight.

John swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing that, if anyone sees Dave, shits going to go down.

Jake and Jade actually come from a long line of Dragon hunters, their parents killed during a hunting trip to kill a rogue dragon that was attacking a village north of Skia. John’s father doesn’t seem too fond of dragons for taking his sister and brother-in-law, but he hasn’t voiced any opinion on the matter, so john couldn’t tell. John started to run through all of the WORST possible outcomes that could happen if Jade, Jake or anyone saw him carrying Dave. Dad could want revenge, thought John as his bit His bottom lip in worry, he could kill Dave with any of his many baking utensils… Jade could take one of her rifles and kill Dave with a blow to the heart! Jake coULD ATTACK DAVE AND BEAT THE CRAP OUR OF HI-

John was drawn out of his worrying (on the verge of panic) thoughts by someone shifting on his back. John turned his head to the side to see Dave shift so his chin was no longer on his shoulder (and exposing the bite mark he left, which was now slightly purple… great, thought John as he made a mental note to not take his shirt off for at least a week). Dave then rested his head against the back of johns shoulder and nuzzled into it, making himself comfortable, draping his wings around the end of John’s shoulders. John smiled at Dave before facing forward, deciding that no, no matter what he would not let anyone hurt Dave because he’s already hurting enough!

John saw the lights of his town, Skia, approaching. He stopped in the middle of the road and realized he couldn’t just stroll all lo-di-da into town carrying Dave. John cursed and went off to the side of the road to think, out of view of anyone along the road or town. John ended up entering the town through the little water way that ran through the citing. The city had a signature black and white cobble stone pattern running through the town, the houses gold, and white or black and purple, all different hues and tints. Him and Jade use to take this route out of the city when they were younger and wanted to get away from everything. He walked along the embankments of the small stream, hiding under the overhang and stopping in his tracks whenever he would hear someone approach or go by. He was nearly caught twice by a few little brats and an old lady (Mrs. Farfelu, if John recalled correctly) before he climbed out and over the side of the water way quickly before dashing into his bright gold and white house.

John slammed the door, no longer giving a shit if his family heard because heck! If he was going to get Dave help, it would be from them. John set Dave down on the kitchen table. Dave groaned when moved from his comfortable position, but otherwise went willingly, while john quickly got to work closing all the windows and curtains. Couldn’t be too careful!

Jade had jumped down the stairs quickly in her light green night gown that had long sleeves and skirt. “John!” she called out as she turned down the hall leading into the kitchen, “What’s with all the racket- aaaaAAAAAAAAAHHH-“ once Jade turned into the kitchen and caught a glimpse of Dave laying on the table all bloody and having wings and scales, she began to scream. John however, didn’t want the neighbors checking and snooping, and gently slapped his hand over her mouth and gave her a LOOK. Jade obviously shut up immediately, and once John was sure she wouldn’t call in the royal army, he removed his hand from her mouth. She gaped at Dave, “wha… ho-how…. What…” was all she was able to say as she moved towards the stirring Da- oh shit shit shit shit shitshitshitshithshi-

She had moved over to Dave and leaned over his face. He had been stirring, but when he took a deep breath through his nose he froze and his eyes snapped open, his blazing reds meeting summer green. Both Jade and Dave jumped back and screamed (john swearing that the higher pitched scream came from Dave). Jade collided with John while Dave fell off the table with a grunt.

“JADE??!!! JOHN??!!” Here comes a cavalry.

Jane raced down the stairs in her very light baby blue night gown (same design as Jades, only real difference would be the bow on the front), while Jake and Johns dad had raced up from the study in the basement, Jake in fine tux along with his dad (probably working on Jakes mannerism, since John’s dad thinks he lacks in that area). They had all been calling their names before Dad entered the kitchen and stopped mid cry. Jake rushed in after him and gaped just like Jade had done. Jane entered, turned around and yelled as she headed for the stairs shaking her head “SHUCKSBUSTER! NO I am going back to bed and I’m not about to deal with this, no no no no no!” Jade had to run out of the room and drag Jane back While John stood there awkwardly under the stares of Jake and his father. John had turned slightly and caught a glimpse of the scared shitless expression on the now completely awake Dave. Oh man, thought John, maybe this was a bad idea….

He turned to face his family, Dad standing up straight after composing himself in a gentlemanly manner, Jake still gapping like an idiot beside him, Jade with her arms cross right beside the confused and fuming Jane, all inside the entrance of the kitchen.

John shuffled awkwardly on his feet before clasping his hands together and smiling weakly, “I, uh, can explain…”

“Oh please do John! Tell us why you have a fricKEN DRAGON IN OUR KITCHEN AND WHY YOU-“ Jane had approached John absolutely ablaze. She was furious. John shrunk back as Jane started to yell, but she stopped abruptly when John’s dad laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Daughter…” he said in his most fatherly voice, calm and collected, “I think all of us,” He motions back to Jake and Jade as well, “want to know what’s going on, but we won’t know if you don’t let John talk.” He had looked at John on the last part, and when Jane crossed her arms and mimicked Jades position with a huff, dad looked expectantly at John.

“Son…?”

John looked down and took a deep breath….

“Ok so what happened is that I went to go visits mom’s grave like I do every year and I spent most of the day there but then a big fucking orc tried attacking me but Dave here leaped and saved my butt and then ran off all hurt and I didn’t want to leave him to die so I followed and I carried him home since he didn’t tell me to bring him anywhere else and I thought we could help him and yea..... That’s all….” John said out of breath, looking up at his family once more.

Jade no longer looked stern, but amazed, Jakes expression hadn’t changed, and Jane was now the one gaping. The only one to hold their composure was Dad, who only took out a pipe and began smoking and nodding. “He saved your life…?” Asked Jake as he looked over at Dave, who had since laid down on his stomach, looking about ready to pass out again. John quickly moved over and picked Dave up. “Yes! He Did!” John said as he set Dave back down on the table, “Now please help him!! He’s Lost a lot of blood and…” John trailed off, though his meaning was understood by his father, who quickly turned to the others, pipe in hand. His eyes snapped to Jane. “Jane,” He said in his most serious tone as he motioned over to Dave, “I need you to heal David. Jade I need y-” “WHAT?!” Jane had exclaimed, looking terrified. Everyone else was just as surprised by dad’s command. Dad had sighed and smoked on his pipe. “I know you have the gift of life daughter,” he looks around to everyone else, “I know all about your powers children. I am your father after all, you can’t hide such things from me.” “WAIT WHAT POWERS?!!!” Jake looks down at his hands in amazement and back at dad, an expression of wonder upon his features. Dad smiled and pointed to each kid, “John is gifted with the power of air and anything around that spectrum. Jade here is gifted with being, meaning anything to exist she can manipulate its physical form. Jane holds the power of life, meaning she can bring people back to life upon certain circumstances, but it usually revolves around healing…” Dad had trailed off when he looked at Jake, who now looked eager to hear about him.

However, when dad didn’t speak right away, he began to look cheated. “What? Don’t I have any whatchamacallit powers or gifts?” Dad smiled a small smile. “Yes, Jake, you do. Yours is the most powerful of them all, but because of this it will take you longer to draw from the power. And I’m not about to tell you what it is, because then your life could be at risk. Its best if I didn’t tell you, son.” Jake looked scared but amazed, and only nodded at that answer.

John had turned around to see Dave’s chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. “Ok, we can talk about all this wonder full magic jizz when we’re done SAVING SOMEONE!” John flailed his arms, motioning to Dave.

Dad had sent Jake to fetch some spare closes while Jade was to get a tub of water and rags. John was to stay there and help, while Jane looked Dave over, Dad sitting on the side lines, conducting it all.

Jane whistled when she looked at Dave’s wing (which was drenched in blood and looked as if half of it was barely hanging on) and grimaced. She looked at the half conscious Dave, to their dad and then to John. Dad had nodded to her and her face turned stern as she shooed John out of the kitchen and told him not to come in for the rest of the night. John tried protesting until his dad and Jane each gave him a look that said “shut up and do as you’re told”.

Before he left he peered over his shoulder to see Jane whispering something to Dave, who had tears starting to flow down his face before he nodded to her question….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't Forget to Comment!!!!


	3. One Pissed off Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirks POV! This will be also where TZ and Latula actual come in as well!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I hope you guys enjoy this!!!!! I don't know how good I am with writing dirk or the pyropes so let me know how I did please!!!

Dirk was pissed. He had since started a strife with some of the newer guards, who sadly didn’t know what they were getting into when fighting the angered prince. Latula and Terezi were watching the whole fight go down, obviously pitying the poor fools.  
They were in the castles court yard, which was at the most a mile long. In it grew wondrous trees of all shapes and colours, much of which no longer grow on the surface. Up above shine special crystals that shine the sunlight’s rays down through into the Underground city of Derse, both the dragons and Half-bloods home. 

Dirk kept lashing out at the 3 guards, his prized katana slashing at them like an extension of his own arm. He may be angry, but unlike most who get sloppy when in a fury, Dirk keeps collected, his strikes just as precise when calm, only hitting out with more force behind each swing. The first guard lunged and attacked while Dirk had his back turned.  
Wrong move. 

Dirk had easily heard the noob coming due to the “war cry” he let out while charging, allowing Dirk to swiftly move to the side just before collision, causing the guard to slam into the one Dirk was just brawling. Dirk lashed out once more at the guards, each moving barely fast enough to keep up with Dirk, who was becoming more and more angry as time when on.  
The newest guard had slipped and fell at the same time Dirk swung. The guard had closed his eyes tightly, fearing the worst, only for it not to happen. The Guard had open his eyes to see the edge of the sharp sword just millimetres away from the left side of his neck, the prince glaring at him with molten gold eyes. 

“Get out of here!” snarled Dirk after drawing his weapon back, “You all obviously need more training if you slip in the middle of a fucking battle.” The noobs had quickly lined up, bowed, and departed in a rush to escape the Princes rage.  
Stupid guards, thought Dirk, gripping his Katana’s hilt hard, they couldn’t even keep an eye on Dave or keep him in the city! Fucking MORONS!!! At the last thought Dirk had turned around and thrown his Katana with all his might, Terezi moving slightly out of the way to avoid becoming a dragon Kabob. 

“N1C3 THROW OR4NG3,” said Terezi with a crooked smile, “BUT 1 TH1NK 3V3RY ON3 H3R3 WOULD L1K3 TO NOT B3 SL1C3D 1N H4LF BY 4 FLY1NG SWORD!” Latula had waved to them both and left to check on the new guards to make sure that Dirk didn’t bang them up too hard. Dirk sighed and sat down on a dull sapphire colour rock, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. “Shit,” he muttered, “Sorry TZ, I didn’t mean to I just…” he let out another sigh, “I’m just worried about him….”

Dave hadn’t come back to the castle for dinner, which started to get Dirk worried, and when he hadn’t returned at curfew, he started to panic. He sent search parties out, only to find that he had slipped passed the guard and onto the surface. Dirk had nearly killed the messenger. Since then, Dirk has been going between fighting anyone nearby to cursing and closing himself off. Terezi and Latula are the only ones he’s been talking to for nearly a whole day now. 

Terezi walked over, her dark teal scales prominent against her light grey skin, and sat down beside Dirk and patted his back, HARD. He knows she pats or taps people hard because she can’t see how far her hands from his back. “H3Y,” she said, red glazed, unfocused eyes looking as serious as possible, “1 KNOW YOUR WORR13D! W3 4LL 4R3! BUT W3 4LL SHOULD H4V3 KNOWN H3’D B3 4 TOT4L 1D1OT 4ND GOT TO TH3 SURF4C3 SOM3D4Y.” Dirk only sighed and nodded again, muttering, “I know” through the whole thing, which Terezi returned with an elbow to the ribs. Dirk then turned to glare at Terezi while rubbing the offended side. “H3Y! CUT OUT YOUR STUP1D P4RTY POOP3R P4R4D3 PR1NC3 OR4NG3 POP, YOU N33D TO B3 MOR3 FOCUS3D!”  
Her sweet smile (or the closest thing to sweet she could muster with a mouth full of sharp canines and completely red eyes) turned devious as she said, “44444444ND 1F YOU DON’T CUT 1T OUT, 1 WON’T 1NFORM YOU 4BOUT OUR L4T3ST UPD4T3 ON TH3 S34RCH!!!!” 

Dirk bolted from his siting position into a standing one, knuckles white with how tight his fist were clenched. He hissed out “Terezi! Tell me now or so fucking help me I’ll-“ “YOU’LL WH4T? HMMMM?” Terezi said, crossing her legs and acting all innocent. Damn it Terezi, Dirk thought with a growl on his lips. Latula, and especially Terezi, are the only two people other than Dave who can keep up with dirk in a fight, and possibly beat him. He knew if he engaged in a strife with her, she’ll use his anger against him, and make it his down fall. She was one smart bitch. 

“Fiiiine….” Grumbled Dirk as he sighed and dropped his head. Terezi laughed her crackly, high pitched laugh before looking back at Dirk, “W3LL???” She said with a smug smile. Dirk sighed once more before straitening up and forcing a smile on his face, speaking through gritted teeth, “This good enough for you TZ?”

Terezi held back a laugh before making herself look serious, pretending to ponder the question. “HMMMM, 1 DON’T KNOOOOOOW D1RK…. M4YB3 YOU SHOULD TRY 4ND B3 MOR3 CONV1NC1NG BY-“ “TEREZI!!!!!” Dirk all but screamed. He was fuming now, and Terezi knew when he was this angry, it was best to give him what he wants. “4LL R1GHT F1N3, F1N3.” She stood and paced around gesturing wildly. “SOM3 4N1M4LS H4D R3PORT3D TO MY SOURC3S D4V3 W4S S33N BY HOLLOWS GROV3, ONLY 4 F3W K1LOM3T3RS 4W4Y FROM TH3 CLOS3ST TOWN OF SK14.” I should have known…, thought Dirk and he shook his head, where else would that little shit go? He’s never flew before so he couldn’t have flown anywhere so he had to have walked. Damn Strider. Dirk huffed out a “figures”, before Terezi continued. “TH4T W4S S3V3R4L HOURS B3FOR H4ND. S1NC3 TH3N TH3Y H4V3 NOT S33N D4VE, THOUGH W3 TH1NK H3 4ND 4 BOY HE W4S ‘FOLLOW1NG’ 4R3 R3SPONS1BL3 FOR 4N ORCS D34TH 4 FEW ML3S 4W4Y FROM WH3R3 TH3Y W3R3 L4ST S33N.” 

Dirk’s eyebrows furrowed as he began to think, running his hand through his spiky hair. He then turned to Terezi, who was waiting for his response. “Ok, I think w-“ Dirk was cut off from the whole ground shaking…

“What the fuck?” was all he could manage before the tremors got more intense, several crystals and rocks falling towards the city, crushing several dragons and half-bloods below them. Dirk had only pushed Terezi and himself out of the way just a few seconds before a rock had crashed down upon their previous position. Suddenly, as the tremors began to fade, Dirk shivered, an evil, vile feeling passed threw him, but he couldn’t pin point what was causing him to feel that way. He looked over at Terezi, whose face had contorted into one to voice her discomfort. Maybe this isn’t just me feeling this, thought Dirk as he look up to make sure they weren’t about to be squished again. 

“WH4T W4S TH4T?” Terezi said, turning towards Dirk as if he had all the answers. “Like I’m supposed to know,” Dirk responded, frowning at the cries within the city from areas that were destroyed by a rock or crystal, “I’ve never felt tremors that strong before. And I don’t think these are normal because…” Dirk trailed off and turned to Terezi, who knew what he meant. “Y34H… TH4T 4WFUL F33L1NG....” 

Terezi and Dirks heads snapped to the entrance of the courtyard where Latula was running towards them at top speeds. She had barely stopped in time, almost running Dirk and Terezi over. She was panting and out of breath, trying to speak while taking in deep gasps of air. “Th3……s34l brok3… h3’s… fr33….” Latula gasped. Dirk patted her back. “Wait, what? Who’s free?” Dirk was so confused. 

“LORD 3NGL1SH…” Dirk looked up to see Terezi with the most angered and horrified face he had ever seen on her taking over. “TH3 D4RK, CH3RUB DR4GON WHO N34RLY TOR3 OUR WORLD 4P4RT 4ND S3NT 1T TO OBL1V1ON.”  
Dirk nearly shit himself.

Dave couldn’t remember the events that took place before the war between humans and dragons, but Dirk certainly could. Before the war, balance between the magic world and the mortal world were kept by two individuals. Calliope, the light cherub dragon who wished piece among both people, and Caliborn, the dark cherub dragon who hated humans, but grew to hate the magic world too because of his sister, Calliope. He hated them both, and wanted to destroy both. There used to be 2 worlds, one where the morals lived and the other world held magical beings. There were portals between the two realms, so that people may travel back and forth, exploring and wondering. However, when Caliborn started to attack the magic world, everyone had fled to the other, by at that time humans did not hate the dragons or other creatures, and welcomed them. Caliborn destroyed their old world, black smoke and darkness leaking through the portals. Anyone who ventures through them now either never come back, or are twisted forms who constantly scream of the horrors they saw. It had since be renamed “the void”. After destroying Dirks home, Caliborn set his site on the Mortal world, but Calliope was not about to let that happen. Calliope and her brother were fighting to the death, her using all her power against his. Caliborn, however, was too strong, as he fed from the negative emotions of others, and with everyone having feared the upcoming battle between the two, he was much strong than her. His final move was ripping the heart from Caliope, proving to all she was dead. After this success, he wished to be known as Lord English, though not many had known why. He then continued to fight and burn the world. That’s when Calliope’s descendants came in. These dragons were of pure light, everyone one a different size, shape and age. As Lord English approached the human capital city, Prospit, all the light dragons who existed stood in front of the city, side by side, standing their ground. He merely laughed at them, saying was a pathetic attempt this was to stop him. The light dragons, however, surged forward, drawing as much power as they could. It was enough. They couldn’t defeat him, but they drove him back, sending him to the farthest reach of the world. There, they all used what remained of their magic, and sadly their life source, to seal Caliborn away for millennium. All the light dragons, however, didn’t survive the encounter, wiping them out. 

Afterwards, one of the human scholars who knew of dragon lore, came forth, caring a dark green jade skull, with inscriptions on it in dragon tongue. The inscriptions told about Caliborn’s escape, the seal wearing away and breaking, freeing him. It warned that it would not be a dragon who stops him, but a human whose last name was English. It had said he would come with his family and others of the half-bloods race to confront Caliborn. It had said he would hold the last hope for the people, holding the last light powers in existence, and hopefully he would be able to bestow that same gift on others, allowing light to once again pulse through the land. It was then that the dragons, as well as a few select humans, who realized the Lord English took the name knowing he would have to fight another with the same name, already a “prize” from his opponent like her did his sister. From then on, for the next few years, they had kept an eye on anyone who had the last name English or who were gifted with magic. 

It was only about one hundred years after this battle the war between the humans and dragons broke out, the humans blaming the creatures for the bad crops, killing of their goddess (who was Calliope. Caliborn and her could also take the form of humans, but they were dragons to start with), and for their cattle being killed. Dirk’s people had been around for years and years prior to both wars, but when this one surfaced they were caught in the cross fires. Dragons who were extremist tried killing them off, humans who didn’t know pity killed them too. Eventually, since more humans hated them than dragons, they had sided with the dragons. After that it was a long, hard battle that lasted centuries, until eventual the magic people realized that this was the human’s home first, and that they best move. The dragons moved underground, and made the city of Derse. The fairies and nymphs moved to the forest, and so forth, each creating cities away from the eyes of the morals. 

Dirk was shaking. Caliborn took away his home, destroyed his world, and nearly this one, and now he was free again to do it all over, only this time, if he succeeded, no one would survive. 

By this time Latula had caught her breath. She was standing in a relax position, her hip cocked to the side, though Dirk could see how tight she was clenching her jaw. Terezi was standing in her most professional stance, back straight and hands behind her, face still contorted from fear and anger at the current situation. Dirk looked between the two, Terezi’s dark teal scales shimmering in the light of a nearby fire, her short, blacked spiked hair shooting out every which way. Latula's lighter scales of that same colour didn’t reflect the light as much, and her hair was longer than Terezi’s, but it fanned out at the bottom all the same. Unlike Dirk, they had horns and their wings were webbed. He took in the site of his two best friends standing by his side, waiting patiently for orders, not because they’re his subjects and must do so, but because they respect him as a leader and friend. 

Dirk looked out to the city of Derse, and then back at Tz and LT before turning his back and walking away to grab his katana. Terezi and Latula looked to each other, obviously wondering what Dirk had in mind.  
He retrieved his Katana from the wall it had embedded itself in and walked back over to the two sisters. “Grab your stuff,” he said, voice calm and collected, “We’re going to the surface.”


	4. Green Bean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Jake's POV. This is also where the Pumpkin patch ship comes into play!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad to see so many people enjoying this! I will continue this all the way through, and I have some excellent idea's for how its going to pan out. I probably won't be able to post as often as with my Exams coming up, so if I don't post for a couple days next week that's why! Also I would like you guys to let me know how I'm doing with the character's personalities and speech patterns, because it was really hard thinking up Jakes vocab, since he uses words like Shucks buster, "What the Dickens" and so forth. I hope you all enjoy!

“Oh bloody fucking hell!” Jake exclaimed as he stubbed his toe on the stairs as he headed up to see their “guest”. Ever since last night, Jake had wanted more answers. Everyone else got extraordinary powers, thought Jake as he trudged upstairs with his sore toe, why didn’t uncle tell me mine! This is absolutely uncalled for!

Jake turned into the hall leading to his room, which had since been rearrange to accommodate their guest. Last night he had slept on the couch while his room, the biggest of all the bedrooms, was used for Dave the dragon boy. Gadzooks, thought Jake, I still can’t believe were helping a dragon! Jake had remembered that his and Jade’s parents were killed by a dragon when they were young, but Jake new that Dave was not that type of dragon, because he probably would have killed John otherwise. Plus it would have been rude to think of all dragons horribly because of a few bad apples!

Jake heard a moan from his room as he neared, slowing and quieting his pace. He snuck up to the old wooden oak door and slowly, as quiet as he could, opened the door. Dave was standing at the opposite side of the bed, his lower half blocked by the high mattress and green quilt (Which, sadly, had a huge blood stain on it from the previous night). When Jake looked back up at Dave he was taken back. 

Last night, when he had tried to enter the kitchen to deliver some towels, Uncle had taken the towels in the hall and locked the door to the kitchen. Confused, Jake had looked for John, only to find him pouting in the living room, saying that Jane was in there healing him. Probably with all those brilliant abilities everyone but JAKE seems to have. He held back a huff at the thought. After that he had crashed on the couch after Uncle informed him his room was being condemned for Dave.   
But now he realized why Uncle didn’t let them in.

They had amputated his wing.

Dave’s back was to him, one full, ruby wing outstretched as he stretched and uncoiled the rest of his limbs, half of the other wing wrapped in a make shift gauze from the towels Jake had brought Jane and Uncle. It had already soaked through with blood that was nearly the colour of his scales. 

Jake gasped, and Dave noticeable tensed up before relaxing. “Hey,” Dave said as he looked over his shoulder, “would be nice to give a guy some privacy, sheesh.” Jake looked down. “Oh shucks, sorry sir Dave-,” “Just Dave, bro.” “-I didn’t mean to bother you! I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and ask you a few questions about yourself.” When Jake looked back up Dave was smirking and rolling his eyes. “Thanks,” Dave responded as he reached over for a white shirt that was left for him, “But at least let me shift my form so it’s easier to move around your cramped ass house. It ain’t exactly easy moving around these small halls with tw-,” Dave paused as he corrected himself, “One full wing, no matter how close I press it to my body.” Jake gave Dave a sympathetic look, to which Dave rejected and turned away from, as if he didn’t want to be shown sympathy. 

Dave’s body soon began to glow a light, faint red colour around his scales and wings. His scales soon flattened out and blend into his skin, changing colour to match his pale complexion; His wings shrinking and soon turning into dark burgundy, inky lines, which plastered themselves along his back in complex designs that resembled his wings, looking like tattoos. However, on his right side with the damaged wing, the lines stopped abruptly, several scars that weren’t there before running along the coloured lines. His tail had went through the same process, though Jake could only guess that the tattoo wrapped around his leg instead of his abdomen. Jake gaped like a blubbering fool at the process. When Dave was done pulling on the shirt he had started to turn around, only to break out into full out laughter at the sight of Jake. “I take it you probably never have seen a Transformation before- Hahahaha you should see your face! It’s priceless!” Jake, cheeks heating up from embarrassment by that outburst, turned around and started to exit into the hall, a chorus of laughter echoing behind him. 

He huffed as he went down stairs, planning to ask Uncle for the hundredth time what powers he had, when their front door slammed open, Rose, Jade’s and John’s friend, entering the house still in her own night gown, book in hand, looking as if she had just woken up (it was only 10 in the morning, and since school was out for the day due to the tremors that happened last night, many were taking the opportunity to sleep in). She quickly shut the door, John running down the stairs at the noise followed by Jade, both still in their evening wear. “Rose what are-,” John started until he stopped upon seeing Rose’s eyes. Oh for frickin’ hell, thought Jake as he saw the violet glow emanating from Roses irises, MORE magic that he doesn’t possess. If he was being honest with himself, he was starting to get tired of everyone else having powers.

“John shut up,” She said, her facing looking terrified as she stared passed them all to Uncle who had come up from the study, “He’s coming….” Jake, John and Jade looked at each other before looking back at Rose, saying in unison, “Who?” 

Before Rose could reply a sarcastic voice sounded from the stairs, “Damn, what’s with all the noise, don’t-cha know I need my beauty sleep?” Dave was leaning on the railing with his elbows, a few steps from the bottom of the stairs, wearing one of Jake’s red work shorts (Hey!) and the white shirt he had put on earlier. Rose’s eyes stopped glowing and her terrified expression evaporated as she had turned to Dave with an unimpressed look. “Well I am very sorry for disturbing your ‘beauty sleep’, but I just had a very terrifying vision an-,” “Whoa wait,” Dave said, smirk on his lips, “You’re a seer? I thought all the human seers were killed for drawing their powers from the dragons or other creatures.” He was about to say more until Rose sighed, “Yes, I am a seer, and I’m here to inform my friends of a vision I saw as it concerned them-,” “Prove it,” Dave said, expression blank. “Prove what?” Rose said, not being able to hide the hint of frustration in her voice, most likely not being able to inform them of this interesting vision she claims to have seen. “That you’re a seer. You could be pranking us or some shit, whatever humans find fun.” Rose paused, thinking for a second before smirking her signature sly smirk, one everyone knows she gets when she gets an idea. “First off, I’m going to ignore you comment of ‘some shit, whatever humans find fun’, and prove to you that I am, indeed a seer.” She closed her eyes as she moved towards Dave in slow, measured paces like a queen would take, and said in a mystic voice, “I see … that you’ll soon… be hit over the head with… a grimoire.” Dave looked confused. “Wait what is that suppose to- OW FUCK!” Rose had just hit Dave hard over the head with the book in her hand, the mentioned grimoire. “Now shush!” She turned back to everyone else, “As I was trying to sa-,” Before Rose could finish they were surrounded, swords pressed to their backs. 

Oh holy cumuli macaroni, this isn’t good.

There was a man dressed in magenta attire fit for a nobleman with light blond yellow hair that spiked at the back, and whose bangs swept to the side like Dave’s. He was wearing these really stupid tinted glasses that looked like two triangles. He was holding sword to Rose’s back. There were 2 other girls with him, one with short hard that flared out at the ends, who was wearing these almond shaped, bright red glasses. She was wearing a robe decorated in red and teal, with the Libra sign on the top in teal. The Second girl had longer hair that reached her shoulders, looking like an older version of the younger girl. Instead of Almond shaped glasses, she had square ones that were tinted the same shade of red. She was also wearing similar robes to the younger one, only the colours were swapped, teal where red was and vice versa. They each had two swords, one held to Jakes and John’s throat, while the others held to Jade’s and Uncle’s back. 

“HOLY SHIT BRO!” Dave had exclaimed. Wait, bro???

“DUDE, WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE???” ‘Bro’ had turned his head slightly to face Dave and bared his Canines. “I should be asking you the same thing lil’ man. You know how fucking WORRIED I was?” His voice raised in volume as he spoke, Dave flinching slightly at the anger in his tone. “Y34H D4V3,” spoke the short hair girl in a high pitched voice, fake pouting as she turned to Dave, “YOU L3FT M3 4LL 4LON3 TO D34L W1TH D1RK’S T4NTRUM, TH4T W4S C4US3D BY YOU!!” Dirk, or bro, Jake couldn’t really decide, had turned to glare at the short haired girl. “TERZI! First of fucking all, I was not throwing a fucking tantrum!-,” She looked as if she rolled her eyes behind her glasses, “YOU THR3W YOUR SWORD 4FT3R B34T1NG TH3 CR4P OUT OF SOM3 G4URDS. Y34H, YOU THR3W 4 B1G B4BY H1SSY F1T.” “- SECOND OF ALL, I had every right to be worried, especially since this little shit didn’t tell me where he was going!” Dave crossed his arms. “Hey, every time I asked to head to the surface, you told me I could only go if I won a strife with you, and you fucking know I can’t!” Dirk ignored Dave and turned back to the group of humans in front of him. “Now, as for you all...” 

Dirk raised his sword, as if to hurt the defenceless Rose, who squeezed her eyes shut for the impending blow. Jake looked away as Dirk brought his sword down to hit her, but he snapped his head back when he hear metal on metal.   
“TEREZI!” Dirk exclaimed, his Katana caught by the short haired girl, who Jake supposes is Terezi, sword, herself still standing in her Position a few feet away. “DON’T,” she said, her expression blank with a slight red glow emanating from behind her shades, her voice echoing as she spoke, “TH3Y S4V3D D4V3, BUT 1T C4M3 W1TH 4 COST…” She shook her head and the glowing was no longer present as both she and Dirk lowered their swords, both turning to Dave. Terezi had a sad but understand expression on her face, while Dirk had one of anger and confusion. 

“Wait, what? What happened Dave?!” Dave looked away, to the floor, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, mumbling an answer Jake couldn’t hear, though he didn’t need to, to know what it was. “DAVE-,” “I LOST MY FUCKING WING OK?!!!” Dave yelled, shaking as he clenched his fists and looked Dirk (what Jake assumed due to the shades) straight in the eye before looking down again and repeating more quieter, “My… my wing was badly hurt, like the rest of me and I… I tried to get back to the cave but I couldn’t and John-,” Dave peered up past Dirk to John, who no longer had a sword at his neck, “He… he brought me back here to his family, and they tied to the magical world like us and his sister had healing powers like Feferi, but not as powerful, so she was only able to heal my wounds on my body but couldn’t….” He trailed off, turning around and lifting his shirt, exposing the tattoo that ended abruptly with scars along where it was cut short. The older girl gasped and covered her mouth, mumbling, “Oh shit”, while Dirks expression was no longer angry but sad. 

Dave quickly pulled his shirt back down after a few seconds before facing everyone with a serious expression. “But let me tell you, if any of you fucking BABY ME I will kick your ass into the next century!” Dirk, his bro, moved forward, dropped his Katana, and hauled Dave over the railings (with him making a surprised yelp) before hugging him tightly. Dave was quick to recuperate the hug, hugging just as tight. When they pulled away they each had smirks on their faces. “Yo, Terezi and Latula, put your swords away. If they saved Dave then their ok I guess.” Terezi and, who Jake presumed was Latula, sheathed their swords before saying sorry to everyone for holding the end of a point sword to them. After John was no longer at the mercy of a blade, he ran over to Dave and hugged him tightly, mumbling what Jake knew to be apologies to Dave. Dave smiled and laughed lightly, “Hey Egbutt, it’s all chill. You weren’t the one who threw me in front of a fat ass Orc, that was sort of my own stupid brains idea. Plus, I never flew before, cause if I’m being honest, flying sucks balls.” Jake watched as John pulled away and responded with a deadpan expression. “You’re a dragon who was scared of flying, weren’t you?” “NO!” Dave said a little too quickly, causing John to burst out in laughter, Dave punching his shoulder and calling him an asshole. Jake smiled at the two, loving how well the they were getting along.

Latula and Jade had started a conversation all on their own near to door to the study, talking about each of their cultures from the Tim-bits Jake caught of their conversation. Terezi had pulled Rose and Uncle into the kitchen, stating she doesn’t want anyone snooping because “TH1S 1S 1MPORT4NT BUS1NESS TH4T DO3SN’T 1NVOL3 GOOFS L1K3 YOU Y3T”. Jake was standing alone, looking for the last member of Terezi’s and Latula’s the when he spotted the man with spiky hair leaning against the wall on the far side of the hall, smirking at his little brother. Jake thought he seemed rather lonely, being so far away from everyone. I’ll fix that! Though Jake as he walked over, head held high and a cheery smile on his face. “Greetings!” He said as he held out his hand to Dirk once he reached him, “I’m Jake English! It’s a pleasure to meet you mate!” Dirk had merely looked down at the hand and back up at Jake, crossing his arms. “Sup.” Boy, thought Jake, he isn’t much of a talker. 

“So,” continued Dirk, expression blank, “You and your friends saved Dave?” Jake was a little caught off guard, but nodded. “Yeah, uh, John came in carrying him on his back and we all weren’t expecting that. Then my uncle told us Jane could probably heal him and then, well she did!” Dirk frowned, “But not entirely, he lost a wing ya know.” Jake looked away sheepishly, “oh, um, Yes, yes he did, but in all honesty ol’chap, his wing looked as if it had been hanging on by a thread.” This brought another question into Jakes mind, which passed straight through to his mouth. “If you Dave’s Brother, and he has wings and a tail and what-not, do you as well???” Jake said cautiously, eyeing Dirk. Dirk pushed himself from the wall and stood straight, taking off his shirt. Jake’s cheeks heated up and he was about to say, “Oh no, never mind it’s fine Dirk!” until Dirk began transforming. Differently designed tattoos began to peel away from Dirks body, glowing a very light orange, nearly gold. His shoulders, back, sides and appendages began to have a similar glow to them where Jake presumed the scales were about to pop out. The Tattoos started to take form, his wings had feathers on them like Dave’s, only his looked as if they were messed up and dishevelled from many, many fights, the colour of them a light orange. His long, lean tail had feathers of the same colour on the end as well. His scales also began to form, coating his skin, back and sides with golden-orange scales. When Jake finally realized Dirk was done transforming, he took in the lovely view. Dirks orange-gold scales reflected some of the light seeping in through the cracks in the curtains. Dirk had since taken his (Quiet Stupid) shades off, revealing rich orange irises. He was a bit more lean and muscular than Dave, but not by much. He had small scars scattered about his body. Jake thought he was bloody amazing. 

Dirk began to shift uncomfortable from what Jake assumed was his staring, but once he looked at Dirks face, he saw Dirk was looking past him. Jake turned around and saw the others staring as well, Terezi, Rose and Uncle in the entrance to the kitchen. Jake, not interested in them, then brought his attention back to Dirk, who was looking away from the searing stares of the others. Jake, taken a bit back upon seeing the magnificent site before him, said “He looks bloody amazing,” under his breath, barely a whisper. Dirk, however, responded negatively to that, probably not even hearing what Jake had said. Dirk had straightened up right away, no longer shifting uncomfortable, making himself look as big as possible. “What did you just say?” He snarled at Jake, who was caught off guard by the sudden hostility. “Did you just make some smart ass remark about me? Because let me tell you ‘chap’, I won’t put up with your shit like I did with everyone else’s an-,” He had continued to rant at Jake, but Jake had zoned out, his thoughts jumbling up into a huge, flabbergasting mess. People made fun of him? Thought Jake angrily, that’s a load of hogwash, because now look! He seems to think I was being mean to him! 

Jake was pulled out of his thoughts when he peered up at dirk, who was pissed the total fuck off. “-SO I HAD TO DEAL WITH ALL THAT SHIT BEFORE, AND IM NOT ABOUT TO-,” He was already advancing towards Jake angrily, and that was enough to make Jake spill the beans in a rush of words. “I didn’t make fun of you at all! I actually think your quiet lovely! Beautiful even. I, uh, I think you scales are magnificent and, um, pretty and that your scars and wings just show how brave you are to go into fights not knowing entirely if you’d win and, um, I think you look really nice and…” Jake had stopped his rambling to look away sheepishly, cheeks red with how much he sounded like an idiot to himself. “Thanks,” said a no longer anger ridden voice. Jake looked up to see Dirk looking guilty and apologetically at Jake, “I…” Dirk paused for a second, looking as if he was trying to figure out how not to fuck this up worse. Everyone was staring at them again, though Jake’s family looked more worried then surprised. Dirk cleared his throat before running a hand threw his hair, “I’m so fucking sorry dude for getting pissed off and yelling at you like you just fucking punched me, I…” Jake, not wanting to hear apologise that would just make things awkward once they were done, stopped Dirk’s sorrow filled speech by scooping him up in a hug, saying cheerily, “Oh for heaven’s sake Dirk, there’s no need to apologize, I’m quiet alright.” Jake could see just out of the corner of his eye Terezi, Latula and Dave gaping at the two. Dirk slowly brought his arms up to hover over Jakes back before clamping down and hugging Jake just as tight. Jake could have sworn TZ, LT and Dave’s jaws unhinged and dropped to the floor. Jake chuckled lightly and snorted a few times at how hilarious they all looked, John following suit, asking the trio what was wrong. 

When Jake went to pull away, he found that Dirk was hesitant to do so, pausing before letting go fully. Jake brushed it off and grinned widely at Dirk. “Plus, my good friend, I highly doubt you would have been able to beat me in a round of Fisticuffs’!” Dirk crossed his arms and smirked, “Oh really? Well we’ll just have to see about that won’t we.” Before Jake could make a witty retort, Terezi piped up. “H3Y, 1 WOULD LOV3 TO L3T GR33N B34N H3R3 4ND YOU, S1R OR4NG3 POP, CONT1NU3 YOU OBV1OUS ‘BRO BOND1NG’, BUT 1 TH1NK W3 H4V3 MOR3 PR3SS1NG 1SSU3S!” Jake and Dirk turned to face Tererzi, Dirk sighing before smirking and nodding, “Yeah, your right TZ. Ain’t that the reason why I let you boss me around?” Terezi crossed her arms and stuck her fork tongue out at Dirk, fake pouting. Dave looked at Terezi, smirking, before turning to Rose. “So, what’s the big news you were goin’ to tell us?” Terezi’s posture quickly changed upon hearing Dave’s question, her stance more professional and serious, and her mouth pulled into a thin line. Rose, who had stayed next to Uncle after they had exited the kitchen, quickly moved up beside Terezi, her expression nearly identical to TZ’s. They looked at each other, nodding before facing the whole group. Jake gulped, the tension in the air so think he felt like he was going to suffocate. 

“Lord English is back.” The two said in unison.

Jake could see Dave turn 3 shades paler.


	5. The New Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and his family find out who lord English is, Dave and John make witty remarks at each other, Mom Lalonde drops by and apparently shit went down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooook so, I know I had previously been posting a chapter everyday, however this weekend I was pretty busy with homework and friends. With my exams starting this week I'll probably be waiting every few days to post so I can get all my assignments done and study. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on that. I also know that in the previous chapters I've misspelled things (Like Skaia), but I wanted to let you guys if I hadn't in the previous notes that I'll fix those once the Fanfic is over.
> 
> Speaking of which I was wondering what you guys would think if I tried starting a new Fanfic (John/Dave of course) where is like a Sword Art Online Au. If you guys would be interested please let me know in the comments!
> 
> And, since I was a bit late and left you guys sort of hanging, here's a chapter that's a bit longer than my other ones! I hope you guys enjoy!

“Who the hell is Lord English?”

John didn’t know who the hell they were talking about, and he believed he deserved to know. After all, they did break into his house to say this. Like, seriously, thought John, Do they think they can just say ‘Lord English’ in creepy unison and expect EVERYONE to know who it is? Sheesh.

John crossed his arms, looking at Rose and Terezi to further elaborate, only for Dirk beat them to it. “Lord Fucking English is the same monster who drove all the magical entities from their home-world to this one. He and his sis once kept balance between the worlds, but he hated her and killed her, planning on doing the same to both humans and non-humans alike. Long story short, decedents of his sister, the light dragons, kicked his ass and trapped him below the earth using a seal that was created with their life force. There was a prophecy saying he would be beaten again by a group of humans this time instead of a group of dragons, with one of the human possessing the power of light and bearing the same name as Lord English.” Dirk said, scowling closer to the end in distaste for the name. “The guy’s supposed to have a lot of allies to aid him in stopping Lord English.”

John’s eyes blew wide, a realization setting in. His gaze flicked to Jake, who was just nodding and looking like he was thinking hard about this whole situation. John turned to Dave and whispered quietly, “Wait, did your brother just say ‘English’?” Dave smirked at John while whispering back, “Yeah, Egbert, he did. Sure you don’t need to get your hearing checked?” John jabbed Dave in the ribs with his elbow, shaking his head, “NO I DON”T THANK YOU VERY MUCH! It’s just that, well,” John looked around the room, Dave listening as he rubbed the side John had hit, “our whole family seems to have powers and, um, so does Jake, but my Dad won’t tell us what his is like it’s some sort of big secret.” Dave looked at John and shrugged, “So?” John turned and looked Dave straight into his ruby eyes as he said, “His last name is English, Dave.” Dave’s blank expression had change instantly to disbelief, looking at John, then Jake, then John, then Jake, John, Jake, Jo- Ok that’s enough of that, thought John as he flicked Dave on the head. Dave’s attention immediately snapped back to John. “Hey!” He whisper-shouted to John, “Enough flicking me and shit, it’s getting old.” “Well so was you staring like an idiot at Jake!” John huffed.

Dave looked to Jake, who had just clumsily tripped over the rug in the hall, landing on his butt with a loud ‘thud’, and who was laughing his booming laugh as he stood brushing himself off. “That’s supposed to be the all might hero?” Dave said, his face deadpanning, “Yep, we’re screwed. We will have our butts handed to us on a silver platter, served by none other than Lord English, `cause he’s the King of Assholes.” John did his best to laugh quietly at Dave’s weird, but hilarious, rambling, “Hey, winners can’t be choosers! At least we know we got a chance!” Dave rolled his eyes again before turning fully to face John, a question obviously at the tip of his tongue. “So, should we tell him?” 

John looked over at the carefree Jake, and decided that, no, we shouldn’t cause his dad decided not to, and so they won’t. “Nah,” said John as his grinned his bucked tooth smile back at Dave, “Let him figure it out on his own. Plus, he get soooooooo annoyed when he doesn’t know things it’s hilarious.” Dave smirked, “Whoa there Egbuns, looks like you’re the all mighty master at how to piss anyone off with that knowledge. Remind me to not get on your bad side.” John snorted and playfully shoved Dave’s shoulder, painfully failing at stopping his snorting laughter as Dave continue, “Oh shit, Egbert just pushed me and I’m dying now cause of the internal bleeding that no one can see, but I assure you Egbert, it’s there.” Dave grabbed hold of John, who was nearly bent over from how hard he was laughing, and started to shake him lightly, “. I thought we were best bro’s John, I thought we we’re the best of best bro’s, but nooooooo apparently not since you just killed me!” “Hahaha, Oh my god Dave, stop being such a Drama Queen, hahaha!” Dave smirked and batted his eyelashes at John, “Am I a pretty queen Egbutt?” John did his best to calm down and responded, “Pffft, The Prettiest, Dave, hehehe.” 

Terezi, who John guessed was listening in on their conversation (though John remembered that him and Dave had gotten considerable louder and were no longer whispering), shouted to them, “H3Y BLU3 B3RRY 4ND CH3RRY, STOP B31NG TOT4L DORKS 4ND L1STEN TO WH4T W3’R3 S4Y1NG, J33Z, TH1S 1S 1MPORT4NT YOU KNOW!” Dave and John shut up immediately and turned to see everyone staring at them, many of who were either smiling or smirking at the two. Shit, thought John, were we really that loud? After seeing she would no longer be interrupted, Terezi began to speak. “NOW, 4S 1 W4S JUST 3XPL41N1NG, OUR B3ST B3T TO D3F34T LORD UGLY MUT WOULD B3 TO LOOK FOR H1S S1ST3R, C4LIOP3, WHO TH3 L1GHT DR4GON’S H4D SOMMON3D 1N TH3 F1RST PL4C3 TO H3LP W1TH TH3 S34L. 31TH3R TH4T, OR W3 N33D TO GO ON 4 M4N HUNT FOR TH3 HUM4N WHOS3 D3ST1N3D TO STOP H1M.” Jake piped in, “But did Dirk not just say that he had killed his sister?” Terezi smiled, “WHY Y3S H3 D1D, HOW3V3R, 1F YOU KN3W 4NYTH1NG 4BOUT B4L4NC3 L1K3 MYS3LF, B31NG SOM3 ON3 WHO MUST US3S 1T TO M4K3 B1G D3S1C1ONS, YOU’D KNOW TH4T L1GHT C4NNOT EX1ST W1THOUT D4RKN3SS, 4ND V1C3 V3RS4.” Huh, thought John as he looked around and appraised the light coming from the Candles and the shadows it created, I guess she’s right, never really thought of it like that before. Jake and the others, except for the dragon people, looked just as intrigued as John. Terezi continued, pleased she had captivated her audience. “H3 M4Y H4V3 K1LL3D H3R, BUT H3 COULD NOT DESTROY H3R SOUL, OR 3LS3 H3 WOULD H4V3 B33N DOOM3D H1MS3LF. TH3R3FOR3, 1F W3 PL4N ON GO1NG 4FTER MRS C4LLIOP3, 1 SUGG3ST W3 CH3CK TH3 MOST M4G1C PL4C3S 4ROUND TH3 K1NGDOM! TH3Y USU4LLY DR4W SP1R1TS 4ND OTH3R M4G1C4L B31NGS TO TH3M.” 

“So we’re going on a giant Easter egg hunt for the ultimate spirit of light through the whole mortal kingdom while trying to also find a human with as much power as her? Yep, sounds like a fantastic plan ‘Rezi,” Dave said looking exasperated, “just fantastic.” Terezi, tired of Dave’s shit, walked over and whacked him the side of the head, HARD. “TH4T’S 3NOUGH MR. CH3RRY 3Y3S, YOU M4Y B3 TH3 PR1NC3 W1TH BRO OV3R TH3R3, BUT L3T M3 T3LL YOU 1 W1LL WHOOP YOUR SCR4WNY BUTT 1F YOU B3COM3 4 P4RTY POOP L1K3 H1M!” Dave had started to glare at her and rub his head where Terezi had slapped him. Dirk crossed his arms and muttered, “I’m not a fucking party pooper TZ….” Terezi, apparently liking to pissed both of the brothers off, grinned and continued, “OR 4 POUTY MCPOUT3R L1K3 D1RK 1S R1GHT NOW.” Dirk straightened up and flipped Terezi the bird, beginning to rant about how he’s NEVER a pouty McPouter, which Terezi merely countered by listing times he threw “H1SSY F1TS”. John, however, was ignoring their arguing and staring at the person beside him in awe. Not only is he part dragon, thought John as he stared at the lightly laughing Dave, who was oblivious to John’s staring since he was watching his brother and Terezi argue, But he was their PRINCE! And so was DIRK! HOLY SHIT I’M STANDING IN THE SAME ROOM AS ROYALTY AND NEARLY GOT ONE OF THEM KILL OH MY GOOOOOD.

John slumped against the wall and began to groan at his stupidity, hitting the back of his head lightly against the wall muttering, “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Dave turned to John laughing hard as Terezi got his Brother in a headlock, who was kicking and yelling profanities directed towards everyone who was laughing at him, which, by that point, was everyone in the room expect John. “Oh my GOD, John did you just see that?! Hahaha-” Dave slowly stopped laughing when he saw John looking awful. “Hey, Egderp, what’s up?” John smiled a bit at the silly play on his last name. He was starting to get used to it. He sighed before standing up and looking at Dave nervously, seeing as how Dave was a prince and all. “Well, um,” He started scratching the back of his neck and looking at a lamp across the room like it was the most interesting thing ever, “It’s just, you’re a PRINCE of a whole dragon people race! And I nearly got you killed and you lost a wing cause of me! I’ve never been in front of royalty before let alone TALKED to them and the first time we meet I was trying to save you from dying cause of me and-,” John was cut off from his rant by Dave’s hand on his mouth. Dave sighed as he looked at john with a poker face. “John,” he began, sounding like one of John’s day care teachers, “I’m going to go nice and slow. First, yes, I am, but I’m not going to take that stupid throne, that’s my bro’s job. I’m working on becoming his head knight.” Still, thought John, that’s pretty damn important. “Two,” Dave continued, “We’re not called ‘Dragon people’, we’re Half-Bloods, any hybrid is associated with that title if their half human, half magical entity. We’re Half-blood Dragons. Thirdly,” Dave flicked John’s forehead, whose protests were muffled by Dave’s hand, “Would you STOP with the whole ‘I nearly got you killed Dave, because of me blah blah blah’, it’s getting old. I have explained it several hundred times by now, so I’m hoping I don’t have to explain it again.” Dave looked expectantly at John, who rolled his eyes and nodded. 

“Ok good. Man, how many times had I explained it to you? Like, about 3 thousand ti- OH MY GOD DUDE!” Dave retracted his hand from John’s mouth, the palm wet from John licking it. John was in a fit a giggles (No, thought John, I do NOT giggle. If anything they’re “Manly” giggles) as Dave made a disgusted face and wiped his hand on John’s arm. Dave, after hearing how John was laughing at him, smirked, and put his hands in (Jake’s) short’s pockets, “Two can play at that game Egbert.” Dave leaned forward to the giggling John, stuck out his tongue, and licked up from john’s jaw to just under his eyes. John’s giggling still present as he tried backing up and pushing Dave’s face away, saying, “Ewwww Dave! Stop!” When Dave leaned away, smirk now a grin, John went to work using his sleeve to wipe away the very slobbery trail Dave had left on his cheek (The Bastard!). “Got to be able to receive what you dish out Egbert.” John playfully slapped Dave’s shoulder as they turned back to Terezi once she cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention, Dirk still in a headlock. “OK, SO 1GNOR1NG OR4NG3 STR1D3R’S OUTBURST, W3 N33D TO GO TO TH3 MOST M4G1C4L PL4C3S W1TH1N TH3 K1NGDOM 1N S34RCH OF C4L1OP3. OUR B3ST B34T WOULD B3 TO CH3CK TH3 W1SP1NG FOR3ST FOR TH3 F41R13S F1RST, TH3Y WOULD PROB4BLY B3 4BL3 TO T3LL US TH3 PL4C3S TH4T WOULD B3 WORTH S34RCH1NG.” Dad had stepped forward, “Will you take my children.” His sentence was not a question, but a statement, which confused John. “UH, W3LL, 1 DON’T KNOW! 1F TH3Y W4NT TO SUR3, BUT W3 R34LLY DON’T N33D TH3M.” Dad had taken his pipe out and lite the tobacco within, holding it to his mouth as he said, “They will go. You all may be able to help them develop and further discover their powers on your travels, more so than if they stayed in our little town of Skaia.” Dad turned to Jake, John, Jade and Jane. “I am so proud of you all for growing into such fine young men and women. I will be proud of all of you no matter if you choose to go with these people to save out world or not, the choice is up to you. I would just like you all to know I would be fine if you chose to go.” 

John only realized he was starting to cry when his father turned to him and brought him into a crushing huge, one that John returned quickly. Jane, who was also starting to tear up, made a determine face and hooked her arms with Jade and Jake. “I’m willing to go and help! If you two are in as well.” Jade and Jake looked past Jane to each other, nodding before whooping and hollering about them going on “an adventure!” After their outburst they turned to John, who was still hugging his dad tightly. When John realized they were waiting for him he held his dad out at arm’s reach and looked up into his dad’s blue ocean eyes, and the wrinkles around them from him smiling so much (John realized that at the rate he’s going, he’ll probably have the same wrinkles, especially if DAVE keeps making shitty comebacks. He’s such a dork). John smiled and turned to the rest of his family. “Well, it would be a pretty dull adventure without the Master of Pranks there soooo count me in!” John said as Jake, Jade and Jane engulfed him in a hug, everyone talking about how cool this is going to be and everything. “Well then,” Said Dad as he smiled at the group, “What are you waiting for? Shouldn’t you all be preparing for you ‘adventure’?” 

After that the four scampered about the house, collecting items they may need. Jake went to his room and collected his two silver pistols that had golden insignias carved into the sides. They also sported a chocolate brown handle and he had a deep brown waist holster to keep them in. They were his best pair. He also ended up packing several pairs of work shorts (“Jake, you should pack more pants in case it gets cold, son.” “I know, uncle, this is the seventh time you told me in the past hour.”), a few trousers upon dad’s request, white and black tunics and two green jackets to wear over his tunics. John also noted how he also packed some more clothes in a separate bag, but didn’t look too much into it. Ran upstairs right away to her room to begin packing her possessions. Later Jade had brought her hunter’s rifle into the living area. She had packed several sets of clothes for all seasons, some being dresses, trousers, tunics and jackets in either lime/green, blue, black or white. Jane had first went out to their shed and gotten a red pitchfork, saying it could be useful. When she returned she went to her room so look for suitable attire. When she came down John noticed she had packed much like Jade, only she packed red, black, light blue and white clothes. John, never being one to be prepared, went upstairs only to find most of his summer clothes dirty. John reluctantly packed some in a spate bag for him to wash later, and resorted to packing some light pants and tunics, some heavier ones for winter, and a blue, worn jacket, all of which were different shades of blue. After John had descended the stairs and saw that all of his other family members had weapons instead of him, he ran out to the shed and grabbed to closet object to him, which would be an old, rusty hammer. Great. When John entered the house again, Terezi, Latula and Dirk look like they were addressing the group.

“OK,” started Terezi once John was sitting next to his bags, “M3 4ND L4TUL4 C4N’T ST4Y H3R3 4ND TR4V3L W1TH YOU TO TH3 F41R13S HOLLOW. W3 4R3 N33D3D B4CK 1N D3RS3, 4ND W1TH NO CLOTH3S OF OUR OWN, W3 WOULD H4V3 TO TURN 4ROUND 4NYW4Y TO G3T TH3M, SO 1T WOULD B3 B3ST FOR YOU 4LL TO GO FORW4RD TO TH3 F41RY K1NGDOM 4ND G3T TH3 1NFO.” John looked over at Dirk and Dave who didn’t have any bags with them before looking confusedly at Terezi. “But what about Dave and Dirk? They don’t have any clothes either.” Dirk smirked and nodded towards Jake. “Jake sort of anticipated this and packed some extra clothes for Dave and me (So THAT’S what that bag was for!). Since Dave can’t fly anymore he can’t fly through the labyrinth to Derse, so he can’t go. And Since I’m not about to back down with a big, green ass monster running loss, or the fact that if I go back I may not be allowed to leave again, I’m not going back either. When Terezi and Latula return they’ll also have Dave’s and my shit so we’re not wearing the bare minimum or borrowing your shit.” John nodded to this and picked his bags up ready to move out. Rose cleared her throat, “I will be back momentarily. I will go retrieve my belongings from my house and inform my mother I am going on a trip with my friends. This way she will not look into the matter too much other than asking Mr. Egbert if this is true.” As Rose began for the front door she was stopped abruptly by said door swinging open, revealing Mrs. Lalonde, full liquor bottle in hand.   
Everyone froze.

Dirk, Latula and Terezi were still in their full form, scales and all. Everyone else looked like they were getting ready to hike across the country (though that’s technically what they’re about to do). “Mother-,” began rose, eyes wide in shock. She was cut off when Mom Lalonde held her hand up, looked around the room, made eye contact with Dirk, Dave, Terezi and Latula, before shaking her head and ‘Tsking’ Rose, “Sweetie, before you say anything, cut the crap. At this point I’m not interested in your ‘oh but mother, you’re seeing things’ or whatever you usually say when I walk in on you preforming god knows what type of rituals in your room.” Mom Lalonde, though she may have a liquor bottle in her hand, appeared to be sober as ever, not slurring a single word. Shit, she means business. Rose was gaping at her mother, which would be an odd and amusing site if not for the circumstances, as was the half-blood dragons. Mom Lalonde walked past everyone straight to John’s dad, putting her hands on her hips. “Listen up Sugar,” she said, addressing dad (Ewwwwwwww, thought john, trying not to make a face, please don’t use the pet names for my dad, omg), “we’re in a lot of shit from what I’ve heard. First being that the King of White, the ruler of all the land, had just died, as well as the Queen and their heirs! They were assassinated by shadows apparently, though from what my sweetheart over there conjures up, I’m not too surprised. But that’s not the worst fucking part.” At the point, Mom Lalonde took a giant swig from her liquor bottle, nearly emptying about half of it. The half-blood grimaced at that, but everyone else, being use to her drinking habits, was not fazed. She continued as she moved to peer out the window from behind the closes curtains, “What’s worst is that some chick took over, and not in the political way. She marched up to the front gates of the castle, blew it to smithereens with her own palm to it, and walked straight into the castle, demanding she get crowned queen. Now, knowing all the wussy’s in the castle, they gladly handed it over to her. But then something weird happened. Just after the news was delivered to our town, with everyone starting to panic, they all stopped. Like seriously just stopped mid-scream, running around and whatever the fuck you do when your kingdom’s taken over, and acted like it never happened. In fact, on my way here everyone was talking wonders about the new queen, who they had never actually fucking met! Now, I don’t know what’s going on, but I think there’s some magic jazz floating about making everyone total morons.” 

Everyone was quiet, looking around the room, as if hoping someone here has the answer to what Mrs. Lalonde just said. Terezi, after pausing to sniff the air, said, “P1NK VODK4 WOM3N 1S R1GHT, TH3R3 1S M4G1C 1N TH3 SUROUND1NG 4R34, 3V1L M4G1C.” She took another deep sniff, “FROM WH4T 1 C4N T3LL, 1T’S 4 M4N1PUL4T1V3 TYP3 WH1CH C4US3S P3OPL3 TO 4DOR3 WH4T3V3R TH3 C4ST3R W1SHS THEM TO, 4ND, FROM WH4T 1’V3 JUST H34RD, W4S TH3 QU33N. SH3’S PROB4BLY TH3 ON3 WHO C4ST3D 1T TOO.” Rose looked over to Terezi, a question on her lips, “But how is it that our group here, being in one of the homes in the middle of town, are not affected by this magic?” Terezi looked a little surprised, “W41T, TH4T’S 4CTU4LLY 4 GOOD QU3STION MRS. GR4P3.” 

Terezi started to pace about the room, pondering. “W3LL,” she began, “1F 1’M R1GHT, TH3 M4G1C B31NG US3D R1GHT NOW DO3SD NOT WORK ON P3OPL3 WHO 4R3 4W4R3 OF TH3 C4ST3RS 1NT3NT, E1TH3R SUBCOUNC1OUSLY, COUNC1OUSLY, OR BOTH.” Then it dawned on Terezi, “OH FOR FR1CKL3 FR4CK FUCK1NG S4K3S! TH3 N3W QU33N WORKS FOR LORD 3NGL1SH!” “WHAT?!” everyone said in Unison. Terezi rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. “W3LL Y34H, OF COURS3 SH3 DO3S, TH4T’S PROB4BLY TH3 ONLY R34SON W3’R3 1MMUN3! DO YOU 4LL R3M3B3R TH4T 3V1L F33L1NG W3 H4D 4FT3R TH3 E4RTH QU4K3S?” John remembered waking up in the middle of the night with chills and a twisting stomach, he had meet jade out in the hall, who looked like he felt. That what probably what Terezi was talking about. Everyone nodded in unison, including Mrs. Lalonde, who looked deeply interested in what the dragon girl had to say. “W3LL, TH4T EV1L F33L1NG W3 H4D S1NC3 3ST4BL1SDH3D W4S FROM LORD 3NGL1SH. TH1S M4G1C H4S 4N EV1L 4ROM4, OR F33L1NG, TO 1T. TH1S M4D3 US SUBCOUNC1OUSLY CONN3CT TH3 M4G1C TO LORD 3NGL1SH, 4ND, 3V3N THOUGH W3 D1DN’T KNOW TH3 TRU3 1NT3NT JUST Y3T, W3 BEC4M3 1MMUN3 JUST KNOW1NG TH4T 1T W4S B31NG US3D FOR 3V1L.” Rose turned to look at her mother, “Well, if we are immune because we know it was from lord English, how is it that my mother is? She is obviously immune, but she hasn’t been here to hear our whole conversation. She would not know about lord English or anything.” Mom Lalonde laughed loudly, patting her daughter’s head much to her discontent. “Sweetie, I’ll have you know I’m not as dumb as you think. I know of prophecies and shit, and I knew one day Lord English would return, and, since I’ve never felt such a horrible presence pass through me before, I assumed it was him. Like, I need ta keep up with everything on magic since you’re a seer so if something happens,” She smiled sweetly, “WHICH it has without your knowledge, I could find a way to fix it or act drunk enough to inform you about it. Whenever I appear to be tipsy and tell you these things, you simply tell me I’m seeing things and should stop drinking. It was a good tactic considering half the time I was nearly falling over my two feet.”   
After Rose had fixed her blonde hair back to how it was before her mom messed it up, she said, “My, my mother, it appears I haven’t been as observant of your activities revolving around magical practices as I probably should.” Mom Lalonde rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say sweetheart.” 

She then turned to everyone and ten turned to the front door, “Well, I probably should also tell you all some whack job is hosting a speech at town hall about the new queen. Probably one of her henchmen.” Terezi and Latula nodded to each other, shifting their forms so they look more human, only their sharp incisors revealing that they are anything but. Dirk also took the hint and shifted his form so that he looks normal as well. He and Dave each pulled out tinted glasses from who know where, Dirk’s looking like pointy triangles and Dave’s looking like those “aviators” some sales man tried to John one time when he was in the market. They wore them like Terezi and Latula wore theirs, a means to cover up their unnaturally coloured eyes. “Well,” Said Dirk heading for the door, shoulder held high, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go see what the bitch wants.” 

Everyone followed Dirk out of the house, the people still in their evening wear wearing long Jackets, as they made their way to city hall, were everyone was gathered around. Black banners with a magenta coloured Pisces symbol flapped in the wind. Several portraits of who John could only assume was the new Queen stood high on the stage. There a scrawny, tall man stood, his hair a total mess, wearing white clown face paint and a weird purple outfit. The portraits showed a young looking Queen, her skin tinted slightly grey like Terezi’s and Latula’s, with long, black, free flowing hair draped down her sides. Her dress was a nearly black, dark magenta colour, with several different types of designs sewed into it in a much lightly magenta colour. After pushing their way and stopping in the middle of the crowd, Dirk got a better glimpse of the portraits and scowled. “Her Empress the Condescension.” Dirk faced forward to the stage, but his words and expression caught the rest of the group’s attention. In a hushed voice he said, “Condy is a pure dark dragon. Just like how the light dragons served Caliope, the dark dragons serve Caliborn, though not all of them do. Terezi and Latula are half dark dragon, but they are loyal to Derse and their species. Condy was one of Caliborn’s closest ally, if not thee closest. When Caliborn was sealed away, it is said she was sealed away with him, along with all other loyal dark dragons, including the Orphaner, DualScar, and the Grand High Blood.” Their attention was pulled away by a sudden, loud HONK. Everyone in the crowd went silent at the peered up at the scrawny man on stage, who looked to be about John’s age. “GrEeTiNgS mY MoThEr FuCkInG qUeEn’S sUbJeCtS,” Said the guy, his voice constantly changing in pitch, “I’m HeRe To InFoRm Y’aLl ThAt YoUr QuEeN wAnTs To RaIsE Y’aLl’S TaXeS FrOm FiFtY SiLvEr, To OnE HuNdReD GoLd. HoNk!” Everyone in the crowd booed the news, but otherwise didn’t take any rebellious actions. “NoW I kNoW Ya’Ll ArE uPsEt, BuT JuSt ThInK AbOuT yEr QuEeN aNd HoW yOu In GoOd HaNdS.” At that the whole crowd, expect for John’s group, busted into cheers, chanting “ALL HAIL THE EMPRESS! ALL HAIL THE EMPRESS!” Dirk and Terezi forced a smile and started to chant too, and, when everyone looked at them like “WTF” Dirk rolled his eyes and whispered, “We don’t want them realizing we’re not affect by the fucking spell. So if you guys would stop standing around like a bunch of idiots and chant, that’d be super fucking awesome right about now.” Jake was the first to start chanting with Terezi and Dirk, his voice wavering in uncertainty, but was soon followed by Jade, Dad, Rose and so forth until their whole group was forcing smiles and chanting. 

When the gathering was over, everyone quickly dispersed, talking about how amazing the queen was and worrying about the taxes. Well, everyone except John’s friends and family, they were running to the house and slamming the door without a single word uttered until they were certain they weren’t followed. “W3ll sh1t,” Said Latula as she ran her hand threw her hair, “Wh4t would th4t b1tch w4nt w1th th3 mort4l thrown? Wh4t good would 1t do h3r m4st3r?” Terezi turned to her sister. “B3C4US3 LORD 3NGL1SH 1S W34K R1GHT NOW. TH4T S34L PROB4BLY Z4PP3D H1S POW3RS SO H3 N33DS NUR1SHM3NT. 4ND WH4T B3TT3R W4Y FOR 4 B31NG WHO F33DS OFF N3G4T1V3 3MOT1ONS TO G3T TH4T TH3N TO 4SS1N4T3 4 B3LOV3 K1NG 4ND H1S F4M1LY, 1MPOS3 TH3 CONDY 4S TH3 K1NGDOM’S N3W L34D3R 4ND M4K3 L1F3 FOR TH3 HUM4NS 4 L1V1NG SH1T HOL3?” Dirk growled, “If that’s what she’s doing, then right after we’re done dealing with the fairies we’re going to go and kick Condy’s ass!” Terezi shook her head. “NO W3 C4N’T D1RK! W3 WOULD N33D TO FOCUS 3V3N MOR3 ON F1ND1NG C4L1OP3 NOW 1F LORD 3NGL1SH 1S G3TT1NG STRONG3R! BUT 1F YOUR SO B3NT ON K1CK1NG H3R BUTT OR4NG3 POP, TH3N W3’LL T4LK MOR3 4BOUT 1T WH3N W3 R34CH THE F41RY PL4C3.” Dirk reluctantly sighed and nodded, turning and picking up the bag next to Jake’s things. “Ok then, we better go as soon as possible seeing as how they ass holes already have a head start.” “Agreed!” said Jake as he walked over eagerly to hike his travel bag over his shoulder, his guns hanging from his hips in the holsters, “Let’s go on an adventure!”

After that everyone had gathered up their belongings, Terezi and Latula carrying some bags of food John’s dad had packed. Rose’s mom had rushed back to the house and packed some things for Rose, including, to her surprise, Rose’s knitting needles which oddly looked like wands. They waited a few more hours until dusk to make their move, heading through the water way on Jade’s and Johns (Not-So-) Secret route out of the city. Dave and John were walking side by side, John smiling over at Dave everyone in a while, eager to get started.

Once they reached the edge of the forest, Rose said good-bye to her mom and Jake, Jane, Jade and John said good-bye to John’s dad. Jade and Jake gave him a group hug, while Jane gave her father a small wave, apparently not wanting to hug him in fear of never wanting to let go. When it was his turn John had hugged his dad tightly, only to realize he may never see him again if shit goes down. “I’m going to miss you dad,” He said, tears running down his face as he hugged his father, “I’m going to miss you a lot.” His dad patted and rubbed his back, “I know son, and I’m going to miss you too. But just know I am so, so proud of you and the fine young man you have grown up to be.” After one last final squeeze John backed away from his dad, tears still running down his face. John turned back to the group, Terezi and Latula leading the way, followed by Dirk, Jake, Jade and Rose. Dave looked like he was waiting up for John.

“Hey,” Said Dave when he realized John was done talking to his dad, “You ready for this? Like, becoming heroes, facing danger, rescuing dames and all that?” John laughed at Dave’s remarks, while Dave smirked.

“Yeah,” said John as he and Dave began to catch up to the group, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”


	6. First Night With Egderp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams first night in the woods. Dave's POV. John tries to prove his "MAN GRIT" while pissing all the guys off. The guys hang out and its sort of just making fun of one another and hanging out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK IM SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A FEW DAYS!!!! As I (hopefully) mentioned in the previous Chapter's Notes, I'm a bit busy with Exams, so I won't be able to post often. So I'm very sorry everyone that I can't post regularly! I'm thinking after exams I'll sort of do a schedule for Updating this, but I'll decide when exams are done. 
> 
> ALSO: I'll probably start the SAO AU after I really start to get into the plot in this one, so maybe in about 3 or 4 more chapters.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this Chapter!

“John, for fucks sakes, let me light the damn fire!” “No! Dave, I want to prove my ‘MAN GRIT’ to you all!” “John, we all know your ‘man grit’ levels are at like -1000, so stop and let me light the fucking fire pit!” “NEVER!”

Day one of “Stop the Asshole Lord English from destroying the world” and for Dave it. Sucks. Balls. For the past two hours Jake, Dave, and Dirk have been trying to get to their camp’s fire pit (The girls chose to have separate camps because Terezi deemed it “MOR3 MOD3ST 4ND MOR3 34S13R TO GOSS1P 4BOUT YOU LOS3RS.”), however, John the “I’m a manly man” Egbert decided it was the perfect time to show off how horrible his fire lighting skills are. Every time Jake, Dirk or Dave got close to John or the fire, John summoned his wind powers to blow them away a good few metres from him. “Oh Bloody Hell John!” yelled Jake as he was blown away for about the sixth time in a row, “Let one of the Strider’s lite the blasted fire! You’ve been at it for the past 2 hours!” John shook his head and continued to try and light the fire, blowing Dave away when he tried pouncing on him (Asshole, said Dave to himself as he sat up on the cold ground). I was right, Dave thought as he stood up and brushed himself off, John could piss anyone off at any given moment. One second I want to fist bump him and the other I want to kick his ass, especially now!

Dirk, the only one of the three who has since given up attacking John, crossed his arms and scowled, “John, the Girls already have a warm fire started. They were smart and let Latula lite it, so stop fucking around and let us get it started! Your being a stubborn ass and we’re paying for it!” Dirk face palmed when he heard Terezi’s cackling laugh a little ways away, “I swear they’re all laughing at us right now.” His suspicions where confirmed when Latula yelled “D4mn str41ght w3 4r3 Str1d3r!” followed by another chorus of the girls laughter. Not cool, thought Dave as he readied himself to pounce at John again, not cool at all.

However, just like the last time, Dave was blown to the side by John’s wind when he attacked. “Jooooooooohn,” groaned Dave as he hit the ground with a loud thud, “The girls are laughing at us, that’s damn sad right there.” Dirk, having enough of this shit, sighed for the millionth time and walked out into the woods, muttering, “I’ll be back with my own damn wood.” Dave walked over to sit on a log a few feet away from the fire, opposite of John. He huffed, “John, it’s as cold out as the Condy’s cold, dead heart, and let me tell ya’, that’s pretty damn cold. Just let us light the fire because my fine ass will be as cold as the tundra soon.” John rolled his eyes before stopping and looking up at Dave, “Come on, it’s not THAT cold out!” Though as John said that, both he and Dave saw a puff of breath come from John in a foggy mist. Dave looked at John expectantly, but he only pouted and went back to work trying to start a fire. When Dave rolled his eyes he caught a glimpse of Dirk sneaking up on John, who, thinking Dirk has gone timber hunting, is unaware of the approaching pissed off half blood. Just as Dirk loams over the slouching John, Terezi laughs, “H3Y K1D, W4TCH OUT!” “Terezi-!!” Dirk was cut off when John waved his hand without looking away from the flint and wood, causing the wind to pick up and blow Dirk a good few feet away, knocking him off his feet. Dirk was cursing the whole way there.

“FOR FUCK SAKES TEREZI! I NEARLY HAD HIM! Why did you do that??!” Dirk growled towards the girl’s camp. Terezi, from the intensity of her and the girl’s laughter, was probably bent over and crying from laughter. “WH4T? 4ND RU1N 4LL OF OUR FUN? NO W4Y OR4NG3 POP! TH1S 1S H1L4R1OUS!!! H3H3H3H3!” Dirk grumbled, walking past Dave and Jake (who just attempted to get to John, but landed on his ass as well), to their bags. Jake and Dave looked at each other confusedly. Once seeing that neither of them knew what the pissed off Dirk had in mind, they shrugged and looked back at Dirk, who had since taken one of Jake’s bags with the adjustable sling, and adjusted it so the sling was triple the length it previously was. Dirk then sat down and started to pack the sling to its limit, which prompted both Jake and Dave to go over and investigate what the hell Dirk was planning. “Um, mate,” Jake began, looking questionably at his now stuffed bag, “May I ask what you’re doing with my bag?” Dirk stood up and tied the bag shut, mumbling, “Giving that shit a piece of his own medicine.” Jake and Dave each watched as Dirk started to slowly advance towards John, holding the one end of the sling’s strap in one hand while the other hand held the end of the strap connected to the full bag, half way down from the end of the bag, and spun it, slowly increasing the bag’s momentum. 

“YES!! HEY GUYS LOOK WHAT I JU- OOF!!” Just as John raised his hands up in victory, some ‘barely there’ smoke coming up from the kindling at his feet, Dirk swung the sling from just far enough away that the loaded bag hit John square in the chest, knocking the wind out him and the clueless John back onto his ass. John stared up at the starry sky, with “What the hell just happened?” written all over his features. Dave burst out laughing, Jake following suit, as Dirk walked right past the confused John and straight to the barely there fire. He crouched down and cupped his hands around the kindling, a light emanated from his mouth, which Dave knew was Dirk’s fire by the slight golden glow to it. And, Just as Dave suspected, Dirk seared the kindling and wood with his fire, making a nice, warm fire for them. Jake was quick to run over and warm his hands, curling up on a log close enough to the fire for him to warm up, but far enough away that he doesn’t get burned. Dirk sat down next to Jake and crossed his legs and arms, muttering and cursing about how, “That took too damn long”, and “My ass is fucking frozen”. Dave could hear as the girls sighed disappointedly, Terezi saying to them, “YOU GUYS H4V3 NO S3NS3 OF FUN!” before the girls started to talk amongst themselves, their voices muted by the trees.

Dave walked over to John, still laughing, to make sure he was ok. But when Dave saw John still laying on the ground, arms crossed with the most unbelievable pouty face on, Dave fell to the ground, shaking from his own laughter. John narrowed his eyes at Dave, and huffed before turning on his side, facing away from the laughing Dave, calling him a jerk. It was a few minutes before Dave calmed himself down enough to walk over to the pouting John. “Hey dude, I’m sorry that I laughed at you after you got socked in the chest by my bro using a bag, but to be honest dude, you deserved it.” At that, John swung his arm back and hit Dave’s leg, hard, before re-crossing his arms, pouting some more, not even bothering to look at Dave. Dave, unfazed by the hit and silent treatment, rolled his eyes and flopped down across John’s side, receiving a satisfying “GAH!” from John. John rolled onto his stomach so he was more comfortable, however this gave Dave the opportunity to lay back to back on John. John began squirming under Dave, “DAVE! Get off of me!” Dave, ignoring John and relaxing, snickered, “No can do, Egbutt, you brought this on yourself.” John tried to push up and knock Dave off, but Dave knew better, as he probably weighed quite a few pounds more than John. John gave up and groaned into the ground, his hands out at his sides and his face shoved into the dirt. Dave laughed before feeling bad enough for John to get off and offer a hand up.

John looked up when he didn’t feel Dave on him anymore, his bright blue eyes looking at Dave’s hand and then to Dave’s face. Dave smiled, “Come on dude, let me help ya’ up seeing as how I sat on you for a good five minutes.” John looked back down at Dave’s hand and took it before looking back up into Dave’s eyes. Just as Dave saw the mischievous glint in those blue eyes, he was being pulled forward, tripping over John’s extended foot, and swan diving not so gracefully into the cold, hard ground. I’m really starting to get tired of his shit, thought Dave as he lifted his face from the dirt, John and the others laughing behind him. “Oh ha ha ha, Very funny Egbert, very, VERY funny,” Said Dave as he stood up and turned to glare at the snorting John and his own bro who was sitting next to Jake, “Just look at me laughing my ass off like the rest of you assholes. Can’t you see the tears of amusement running down my face?” John snorted some more before going over the Dave and hugging him. “Dave, I think you mean tears of Joy.” Snorted John into Dave’s chest (Dave was a good few inches taller that John, enough so that the top of Johns head only reached Dave’s nose), with Dave returning the hug, still trying to act pissed off even though he was obviously not. “I’m still pissed at you Egbert for, one, freezing my fine ass, and two, for tripping me like the asshole you are.” John pulled away, lightly laughing. “Dave, I didn’t freeze your ‘fine ass’, it’s obviously still there,” Said john as he peered around Dave and motioned to his bottom. Dave smirked and crossed his arms, “You think I have a fine ass John?” Dave could see John’s slightly tanned face turn red as his ruby eyes. Dave’s smirk widen into a grin when John started sputtering, “W-WHAT? N-no! Dave I’m n-not a Homosexual!” Dave quirked a brow at that last statement. John rubbed his face, Dave assuming it was a desperate attempt to remove the blush. 

“What’s a homosexual?” Said Dave, grin still present. All half-bloods, like most hybrids, are infertile on their own, even though they may not seem to be with their vast population. Like most half-bloods, too, the Dragon half-bloods all have one “Mother” in a sense, sort of like a bee hive, only she isn’t the queen, or even an actual moving creature, and is only used for reproduction. The “Mother” (Sometimes referred by other races as “the mother Grub” for the insect like nature of the system) for Dave’s race is a special Tree just through a tunnel located in Derse which leads to a shrine that contains the tree. At the shrine there is a small wading pool which was surrounded by many different trees. On the opposite end of the wading pool stood the Largest of the trees. Bro said in the trunk of the Tree it looks to be the form of a sleeping dragon, though no one has dared disturb it if it is. Dirk had once explained to Dave how it all worked. The couple who wished to be parents would bring an offering to the tree, a small gift of great value, to show their appreciation for what the tree would do. The couple would then make a cut in one of their hands and hold it them over the pool. The blood from each of the couple would enter the pool together, and the tree would start its magic. Just seconds after the blood hits the surface, it would dissipate right before the couple’s eyes. What they would then do is go home and wait a full day to give the tree time to do its thing (It’s said it will not give life to anyone until it is left alone for a whole day, so what the tree actually does to make a kid is unknown). The chamber would be sealed off so the tree isn’t disturbed. When the parents return there should be a little baby half-blood curled up in the roots of one of the trees. Dave has never actually seen any of this, but he trusts his bro. Because his race doesn’t need to actually have sex to reproduce, his race focuses on love and love alone when finding a mate. 

John looked at Dave after like he had just grown a second head. “What do you mean ‘What’s a homosexual?’” John said as he crossed his arms, looking confusedly at Dave. The red eyes boy just shrugged, “Just don’t know what the human word means, never heard it before.” John made a little ‘Oh’ sound before looking away and scratching the back of his neck, “A homosexual is, like… someone who… I don’t know, like’s the same sex?” Dave, not knowing what’s so bad about it shrugged again, his grin slowly starting to fade, “I don’t see a problem with that dude.” John gaped at Dave, “But Dave, Guys can’t have kids with other guys unless they adopt, same goes with two girls!” Dave hummed, “Huh, guess that’s something else different from our two races.” “What do you mean?” Dave blushed a little, seeing as how this was a tricky subject to talk about. “Well,” Dave began, now being the one to look away from the other boy, “My whole race is infertile, I guess, meaning we can’t reproduce like other species. We actually have this tree the does it for us and shit, so it doesn’t really matter what gender you are, you can have a mate of whatever gender you want.” When Dave looked back up at John, he saw John looking deep in thought. Dave rolled his eyes and sighed, stepping forward and snapping his fingers in front of John’s face, “Yo, Earth to John, I repeat, Earth to John, you still their bro?” 

John blinked his sky blue eyes several times before shaking his head, “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine it’s just…,” John trailed off and looked at Dave, “Wouldn’t you then be interested in guys too…?” Dave sighed deeply and rolled his eyes. He then turned around and leaned his back on John, a hand placed on his head for dramatic effect. “Oh yes John, I’m so ‘Homosexual’ for you. I’m swooning over your dorky buck teeth.” John snorted, all uneasiness gone, and pushed Dave lightly, “Oh my god Dave, seriously?” Dave stood up and gave John a blank expression as he said, “Tot’s bro.” John laughed and pushed Dave’s face to the side as he walked by, causing a smile to spread across Dave’s face. I like his laugh, thought Dave as he sat next to John on a log by the fire, opposite his Bro and Jake, Note to self Strider, make Egbutt laugh more.

For the rest of the night, Dave and Dirk told stories about their amazing strifing skills, and even demonstrated at points (“OMG Dave you’re going to cut down the whole Forests if you keep swinging like that!” “Shut up Egbert! You’re distracting me! I’m trying to get into “The Zone”, and you’re not helping!” “Yeah right Dave, you couldn’t get into the zone even if you trie-,” “EGBERT! SHUSH!”). Sometimes John and Jake would tell their own stories, like how one time John put too much yeast in the bread and the whole shop flooded with bread dough, or the time John decided to Prank Jake and fill his Gun’s with flower, so when he fired he got covered in flower (“THAT WAS YOU JOHN??!” “hahahaha, sorry Jake! The Pranking master always takes an opportunity!” “Do you know how bloody long it took me to clean flower out my pistols AND my trousers??? A WHOLE BLOODY WEEK YOU LITTLE TWIT!!”). Dirk and Dave had broken out laughing as Jake got the laughing John into a headlock, the younger, blue eyed boy saying he didn’t regret anything. 

Eventually, after John and Jake calmed down, Dirk spoke up, “Hey, dudes, we should hit the hay. We got a lot of shit to do tomorrow, and I, for one, ain’t doing any of it if I’m dead tired.” “Rightio Ol’ Chap!” Jake said as he went to his tent (one he brought himself in one of his bags, like seriously, how the fuck does he fit that into a back pack?!) that was a deep green, nearly as dark as the leaves around them, and big enough to probably fit 3 people. John had (with some difficulty) set up his own tent that was considerably smaller than Jakes (Maybe able to fit one person and a half?) which was light blue. However, both raven haired boys stopped when they noticed Dave and Dirk curling up near the fire, which had considerably died down in intensity. “Excuse me, Striders, why don’t you come and sleep with me?” Jake said as he held the flap of his tent open. Dirk smirked, and Dave knew exactly what the older Strider was about to say. “A threesome Jake? Huh, never pegged ya as that type of person, let alone someone who’s fine with inviting my poor, innocent little brother to join!” Dirk said the last part as he pulled the smirking, nearly snickering Dave closer, “Sorry English, I don’t feel like appealing to your kink tonight.” Jake turned a bright red colour by the end of the first sentence that came from Dirks mouth, only turning a deeper shade of Red by the end of Dirks (hilarious) rant. “S-STRIDER!” Jake sputtered, “YOU K-KNOW WHAT I MEAN AND CHEESE ON A CRACKER! T-THAT WAS NOT IT!!” At this point everyone, excluding the livid Jake, was on the ground, laughing their asses off. Jake, obviously pissed at this “damn idiotic tomfoolery”, entered his tent and tied the entrance/exit shut.

Dirk, after calming down enough to get up and walk to the tent, said, “Yo, English, sorry ‘bout making fun of your horrible wording, I saw the opportunity and decided to take it. And about your original question, sure, I’ll bunk with you.” Jake peered out of the tent after playing with the knot he tied, “Oh Ballocks Strider! What makes you think I’d let you in here after you just made a mockery of me?” Jake said sternly, pouting. Dirk rolled his eyes before looking at Jake and smirking, “Because you love my humour and fine ass.” Jake, whose blush looked to have only started to leave his face, crawled back in full force. “STRIDER!” Dirk laughed and brought Jake into a hug, the green eyed boy barely resisting, only throwing a few weak punches. “UUUUUUUGH fine,” sighed Jake after five minutes of being unable to escape the “Strider Hug” (Which, from previous experience, Dave knew was one of Dirk’s tactics to get what he wants), “You and your brother may stay in my tent.” But John had other plans. He had quickly gotten up off the ground from where he had been watching the funny confrontation and ran over to Dave, Dirk and Jake just before they were about to enter the tent. “Hey wait! Why doesn’t Dave stay with me in my tent?” Dave turned and raised an eye brow at John, as did Jake. “John, your tent is too tiny, my dear cousin, you two possibly couldn’t fit!” Jake said, motioning to the small tent. John crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip, whining, “Buuuuuut Jaaaaaaaaake! It’s not fair that you get to hang out with them all night while I’m all alone in my Tent!!” Jake was about to protest again, but when John started to glare at Jake, he clamped his mouth shut and turned to Dave. “Sure, I’ll hang out with Egderp tonight, doesn’t bother me.” With that John raised his hands in Victory, his sad face turning into a huge, smug grin. 

“YYYYYYYYEEEESS!! Thanks Jake!!!” John quickly grabbed Dave (Holy shit, Dave thought at John clamped down on his wrist, This guy has a death grip) and dragged him back to the small, blue tent. Dave turned around to his brother and Jake and Nodded. Jake waved before entering the tent while Dirk simply nodded back. The true Strider greeting and good-bye. John entered the tent first, followed by Dave. As Dave assessed the space within the Tent he quickly decided that it was, in fact, only big enough to fit two John Sized people comfortably. Dave, however, was much bigger than tiny Egbert, which would probably make this very uncomfortable. John laid down on the thick, wool quilt he had placed on the ground to separate them from the chilled ground. Dave crawled in and laid down next to John, part of his arm and leg atop John’s. Dave looked over at John, who simultaneously turned to look at Dave. Bright, sky blue once again meet fiery ruby eyes. John looked away and smiled sheepishly, “Uh, maybe this wasn’t the best idea, were pretty squished in here.” Dave smirked at John as he brought his arms behind his head, using them as a pillow. “Ah it’s not so bad John, being too close to someone never hurt.” John looked back at Dave and shrugged before turning to look at the ceiling of the tent. “Huh, guess you’re right.” Dave looked up at the ceiling too, eyes slowly drifting close. “Night Dave.” John said barely above a whisper. Dave tried to mumble Good night back, but it came out more muffled as he was whisked away to dream land. 

Throughout the frigid night, Dave felt as someone small curled up into his side, shivering from the cold, and he himself reaching over and pulling the other closer, a faint smile spreading over his own face when the person returned the warm hug.


	7. The Journey to The Fairy Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk's POV! Fluff, something happens to Jade, and Roxy makes her entrance with the Nitrams!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is probably the longest Chapter so far (I write all chapters in a word document before hand) and this is about 9 1/2 pages long (usually the other Chapters are 5-6 pages long). I hope you all enjoy this!! ^w^

Dirk had woken up to the sound of a snoring Jake English, who was, in fact, clinging to Dirk’s side.

Now, Dirk didn’t know how this came about considering the night before him and Jake had decided to sleep on opposite sides of his huge ass tent, facing away from each other. However, at least an hour ago Dirk had woken up, on his back, to a loud noise right by his ear, which, when he turned to look, was Jake, snoring in his ear. Upon further investigation, Dirk noted that Jake had both arms wrapped around Dirks chest (good thing I had my arms behind my head, thought Dirk as he tried to wriggle out of Jake’s death grip to no avail) , his head resting on Dirk’s shoulder. Dirk was not someone who got touchy feely, and he ESPECIALLY did NOT cuddle, but, right now, he couldn’t give two shits that Jake was cuddled into his side. For the past hour, Dirk was torn between letting Jake stay where he was, since this was one of the very few cuddles Dirk had gotten in forever and he was quiet comfy with the warm body next to him, and waking Jake up because, damn, his snore was LOUD. Dirk had been leaning towards letting Jake stay where he was.

Dirk looked down at the sleeping Jake, Jake’s unruly, soft hair brushing against Dirks cheek. Jake had changed into some brown shorts (Which were nearly too short, though Dirk didn’t mind) and a light, green tunic, while Dirk had opted to go shirtless and wear some pants. Huh, though Dirk as he realized Jake had also crawled under Dirk’s (aka originally Jake’s) covers, was he sleep walking or did he do this on purpose? Dirk was pulled from his thoughts after another loud snore rung in his ear. Dirk took his hand and pushed Jakes face away, deciding that, no, he couldn’t sleep with that happening right by his ear. Jake, being the adorable snoring asshole he is right now, nuzzled into Dirk’s hand and wrapped his arm’s tighter around Dirk. God damn it Jake, though Dirk as he pulled his hand back, Jake’s head automatically finding Dirk’s shoulder, nuzzling into it. Thankfully for Dirk, Jake had buried his face in his shoulder, so the snoring was muffled enough for Dirk to try and get some sleep. Dirk wrapped his one arm around Jake’s back, pulling him closer, ready to go to sleep again. But Fate decided to be a bitch.

Just as Dirk’s eye lids began to drift down, Jake’s warmth drawing him to sleep, Dave opened up the tent’s exit/entrance, letting all the light of the early morning sun pool through. “What the fuck,” hissed Dirk as he brought the arm not around Jake to shield his eyes, “Dude, give a bro warning before you open a fucking door.” Dave, who was wearing some moderately tight, black pants and a white shirt with a red jacket, looked down at Dirk and Jake, smirking. “First bro, this,” Dave held the flap of the tent with two fingers, “ain’t a door. Secondly, get up, we’re heading to the fairy Kingdom, and I, for one, am not about to piss off Terezi if we’re late.” Dirk groaned and waved Dave away. Dave, probably knowing Dirk probably would go back to bed, left the Tents flap open just enough to get into Dirks eyes. 

“Fuck this…” mumbled Dirk as he shifted a little bit so his body is slightly angled towards Jake. “Hey, English,” Dirk said just above a whisper, “wake up bro, we gotta get going.” Jake, ignoring Dirk, nuzzled into his shoulder and mumbled something incoherent. Dirk looked away and sighed, rubbing Jake’s back in hopes of waking him up, “Jaaaaaaaake, we need to get up, like seriously, TZ will kick my butt if we don’t get up and get ready to go. She’s a bitch when off schedule.” Jake just let out another snore, proving to Dirk his attempts at being ‘Mr. Nice-Half-Blood’ have failed. Fuck it, thought Dirk as he shoved his hands in-between himself and Jake, resting them on Jake’s chest, before giving a good PUSH. Jake, being half asleep, lessened his grip immediately, and was easily pushed away. But once he had lost Dirk’s shoulder for support, his head bounced off the floor of the tent, causing a loud Thud and a mumbled “What in the blazings…,” From Jake. Dirk sat up and smirked, “Rise and shine sleeping beauty.” The groggy Jake sat up and turned to Dirk, his emerald eyes dull from sleep soon brightening upon seeing Dirk. “Oh well hello Dirk! Why are you under my covers-…,” Jake’s voice flattered after he saw it was, in fact, not his covers Dirk was under, but the ones he had given Dirk last night. Jake turned around and saw his makeshift bed practically in tacked other than the pushed aside quilt. Jake turned back to Dirk, a blush slowly creeping up onto his face, which Dirk thought was pretty cute. 

“Oh gosh Dirk! I’m so, so, sooo sorry! I didn’t mean to migrate over here while in my sleep!” Jake was literally spewing his words, all of them coming out in a rushed mess, “I do apologize greatly! But you see… I get nightmares and sometimes move in my sleep! I don’t mean to, it just happens! Usually no one else is around so I don’t grab them but you were this time and Oh good golly gosh, I didn’t mean to bother you!” Dirk tried to suppress a frown. He has nightmares? Though Dirk as he stared at the sheepish Jake, who had since adverted his eyes. He’s a really good guy, why the fuck does he get nightmares while most people sleep soundly? That’s no fucking fair for the poor dude. Dirk hadn’t realized he started growling until Jake’s head snapped back towards Dirk, his eye’s filled with fear and worry. Jake quickly got up and rushed to his side of the tent, starting to change out of his P.J.s into some trousers quickly, saying in a rush, “Oh my god Dirk I’m so, so, sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you!” over and over, sometimes loud and other times quiet. When Jake rushed away, Dirk caught himself and stopped the menacing growls, cursing and mentally slapping himself for being such a MORON. Dirk got up and went over to Jake, who had just finished putting on his trouser and who had gotten really quiet. As Dirk approached Jake, who had his back turned to Dirk, he only then registered the slight shaking of Jake’s shoulders, as well as a few small, sad sounds coming from him as well. Oh fuck.

Dirk gently and quickly wrapped his arms around Jake’s waist, pulling him into a tight hug while shoving his face into the shorter boy’s soft, black hair. Jake made a small surprised sound when pulled flushed against Dirk. “D-Dirk…?” Jake said, voice cracking, proving he had been previously crying. “Jake, I’m the one who’s really fucking sorry,” Dirk said as he hugged the other tighter, “I didn’t mean to make you cry, I just, fuck… I just was so pissed to hear a nice, great guy like you has nightmares so bad you sleep walk as an attempt to escape them and I guess I started to growl out my frustration and anger. And I didn’t mind you hugging me in your sleep or whatever, it obviously had helped you so I was cool with it. I didn’t mind it dude, it was pretty nice.” Dirk didn’t mean for the last part to come out, and then it was his turn for a(n unwanted) heat to burn his cheeks. Jake squirmed in Dirk’s arms until Dirk lessened his grip enough to let Jake turn around to face him. Jake looked up at Dirk, a big, goofy grin plastered over his face. “Why thank you Strider!” Jake said before he hugged Dirk back, “I’m glad to hear I wasn’t a bother! And this really means a lot, my dear friend.” Dirk smiled a small smile before remembering his original purpose for waking Jake (clue, it wasn’t to get some sick bro hugs from the green eyed dork). 

Dirk quickly pulled away and began to strip, grabbing the closest clothes (which were, in fact, some of Jake’s unbelievably short shorts and one of Jake’s green jackets, but Dirk didn’t give a damn) and he quickly changed, Jake staring baffled at him. “Dirk? Why are you-,” “Jake hurry up and get your shirt on!!! If we’re late Terezi’s going to roast our asses!!!!” With that Jake quickly slipped on his shirt and rushed outside, Dirk close behind. Dave and John’s tent was already gone, as were the two boys. “Shit, shit, shit,” Dirk repeated as he and Jake hurried to take down the tent and pack their things. Jake took the tent bag (where the tent was just shoved into the bag, part of the tent hanging out of the bag itself), while Dirk took their clothes and supplies. But, since as mentioned before, Fate’s a bitch. 

Jake and Dirk stumbled through the tree over to the girls camp. When they saw everyone, they knew they were in for it. Jade was laying on her back in a black, long sleeved dress, her feet kicking in the air, looking bored as hell. Terezi and Rose were talking (probably about some seer shit) while Latula was hanging upside down in a Tree by her teal tail. Jane was talking with Latula. John and Dave were a little further away from the girls, wrestling with each other (or as Jake would say, “playing a round of Fisticuffs”), both of the boys and the girls stuff packed into a neat pile by Latula’s tree. Terezi sniffed the air and her head snapped towards Jake and Dirk. Well shit. “STR1D3R!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG W3’V3 B33N W41T1NG FOR YOU 4ND GR33N B34N??” Dirk sighed, “No.” “15 M1NUT3S!!!!” Terezi said as she stomped over to Dirk and Jake, stopping in front of the prince and crossing her arms. “NOW W3’R3 TOT4LLY OFF SC3DUL3 4LL TH4NKS TO YOU 1D1OTS!!! TH1S 1S 4 CR1ME OR4NG3 POP, 4ND 1 4M 4BOUT TWO S3CONDS 4W4Y FROM PROS3CUT1NG YOUR BUTTS!!!” Dirk sighed again, “I know Terezi, I’m really fucking sorry and I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Terezi cracked a sinister smile, “OOOH? 4ND HOW DO YOU PL4N ON DO1NG TH4T PR1NC3Y??” God, Dirk hates that nickname, Terezi uses it when she wants to annoy him. Dirk deadpaned, “I’ll buy your favourite red sugar cherries if they have any at that fairy village or whatever.” Terezi still looked expectantly at Dirk, who waited for a response until he realized she wanted more. He rolled his eyes, “Aaaand I’ll get you a book on fairy law.” Terezi’s smile turned into a grin, “YOU M4K3 4 H4RD B4RG41N OR4NG3 STR1D3R. D34L.” She turned away and yelled at Dave and John, “H3Y DORKS! GR4B YOUR G34R! W3’R3 MOV1NG OUT!” Jade and Latula each huffed out a “finally” before grabbing their stuff and following Terezi, who appeared to not be waiting up for the others. John and Dave scrambled off of the ground and followed Jade’s and Latula’s lead, Jane shortly behind them. 

Terezi was leading the group, followed by Rose, Jade, Jane and Latula, John not far behind. Jake had been staying back and walking with Dirk and Dave. That is, until he decided their eerie silence was getting a bit annoying. “Well my friends, seeing as how none of you are very talk active, I’ll just hurry up to the rest of the jolly bunch,” Jake said as he motioned to John and the girls. With one last wave Jake jogged ahead, catching up to the others. This, however, was exactly what Dirk and Dave were waiting for. “Sooooooo,” began Dave, a proud smirk spreading across his previously passive face, “Last night I got some sick ass cuddles from John.” Dirk quirked his brow questionably at Dave, “Really?” “Hell yeah really,” Dave said, tilting his head to face Dirk, “Like, he just went all cuddle beast on me and he stayed in my side for the whole fucking night! Now, when I woke up he wasn’t beside me, but when I saw the blush on his face when I saw him outside packing, I knew for fucking sure he woke up like that.” Dirk snickered and shook his head, “Damn, sounds a lot like Jake and me. He come over and clamped down on my mid-section. But unlike you and Egbert, English snored right in my ear.” At that Dave burst out laughing. “Oh man, you serious bro?” “Dead serious. When you walked in on Jake ‘quietly’ cuddling up to me that was after a full hour of dealing with him snoring in my fucking ear.” Dave’s smirk now turned into a grin, “Wow, how do you plan to sleep with him if he snores that bad?” Dirk’s smirk flattered and his face grew hot. “Whoa, whoa, wait a second Dave, English and I ain’t going to be all cuddles for the rest of this trip.” Dave rolled his eyes, “Suuuuuure you’re not.” Dirk jabbed his elbow into Dave’s side, earning a satisfying, “ow fuck!” from the lil’ shit. “And what about you and Egbert,” Dirk said, smirk returning as Dave’s smug grin flattered, “you got something on Eg?” Dave frowned and crossed his arms, huffing, “No. We’re best bros, Dirk, that’s all. Plus, apparently Humans have something against liking the same sex, something having to do with ‘no homo’ or some shit like that.” Dirk hummed, this new information a bit bothersome, though he couldn’t exactly pin point why. “K, but if I walk in on you and Egbert cuddling, don’t expect me not to start teasing ya.” “Same goes with you and English bro.”

Dirk and Dave continued to have idle chat after that, tailing a bit behind the group, just talking about “Ironic Shit” and “awesome beats”. Terezi was still leading the group, though no one else seemed bothered by it. They continued to walk through the woods, along well made paths, and other’s not so well made, until they came to a small clearing, surrounded by trees, where Terezi stopped abruptly, nearly making Jake and John run smack into her. “OK,” she said as she spun around, facing the group of confused teens, “1 TH1NK TH1S WOULD B3 4 GOOD PL4C3 TO STOP 4ND R3ST! W3 C4N’T W4LK ON 3MPTY STOM4CH3S NOW C4N W3!” Everyone had nodded in agreement, quickly unpacking what foods they had packed, taking out only what they needed. Terezi, Dave and Latula went out and got some good sized sticks to make a fire. When Terezi’s back was turned, Jake, Dirk and Dave each saw as John advanced towards the fire stealthily (or as stealthily as a clumsy teen can be). Jake quickly ran up behind John, who was then only a few feet from the fire, and grabbed him from behind, lifting the surprised John off his feet. “Oh no you don’t,” Said Jake as he turned around, carrying the flailing John away from the fire, passing Dirk and Dave as they headed over to light the fire, “you caused enough ruckus and tomfoolery last night trying to light that blasted fire! We will not be dealing with your shenanigans today!” “Jake! Put me down! I’m not a child!!!!” John scowled, squirming, trying to break free of Jake’s grip. “No can do Buckaroo.” Jake said, holding John firmly as Dave lite the fire. After that John had given up, and Jake released him. Thankfully, after everything was cooked or heated up (by Jane, being an amazing fucking cook), they had a pleasant lunch, other than Dirk and Terezi (who, might Dirk add, was being a bitch) getting into a little argument. 

After lunch they planned to relax for another hour (upon Jade’s request) before heading back out. Latula had gone back to tree climbing, while Terezi sniffed the air, probably trying to pick up any signs of the fairies. John and Jade decided they’d try and hone their magic skills while Jane made a list, checking to make sure everything was all packed. Dave had decided to take a nap (even though he didn’t need it). Jake was off to the side, sitting on an uprooted log, watching Jade and John, a frown on his face. Dirk had been walking by Jake (to bug his brother, of course), but once he saw the look on Jake’s face, he decided to stop and redirect his path for the grumpy English. “Sup English,” Dirk said as he leaned up against the tree Jake was sitting on, “What’s got the happy-go-lucky Jake all upset?” Jake tilted his head down to face Dirk, “Well, you see Strider, my whole bloody family appears to have amazing powers! Jane with her healing Voodoo, John with his wind, and Jade, well, I think it has something to do with teleka-whatchamacallit-,” “Telekinesis.” “- Yes that! But I had diddlysquat!” Jake said as he crosses his arms, frown deepening. “Like, I don’t get it! My uncle said I had a power, but I wasn’t supposed to get it for a while! Which is not fair, I mean really…” At that point Dirk had tuned Jake out, nodding and humming every so often to make Jake think he was listening. Dirk felt bad for the guy, but after a while his ranting can get boring. Dirk turned his attention to Dave, Jade, John and Rose (who must have went over to see what their all up to). 

John was hovering in the air, floating about, Rose smirking at how carefree he is and Dave staring at John in awe (oh man, thought Dirk, Dave will probably never know how it feels to fly. Damn orc and damn me for not being a good enough guardian). When Dirk looked at Jade, though, he began to worry a bit. Apparently her powers weren’t limited to Telekinesis. She had a (very unstable) green mass of creation energy in her hands. She looked to be having a hard time controlling it too. “Hey guys!” Jade called, grabbing the attention of the 3 other kids (everyone else other than Dirk being ignorant shits considering how dangerous magic is). She held up the green, unstable ball of magic, “Look at this!!” “Oh cool!” John said, still high in the air. Rose responded with an “impressive,” while Dave nodded and smirked. However, the longer Jade feed the energy in her hands, the more unstable it was becoming, and her hands were beginning to shake. However she was oblivious to this fact, and continued to hold it within his shaking, unsteady grip. Dirk was considering whether or not to get the fuck out of there before she released the ball of unstable energy. “What does it do?” Ask John and, yep, she’s going to test it out. “I don’t know,” Jade said curiously as she eyed the green energy ball, “Here, I’ll try it on a tree.” Jade had looked around until she found a decent sized tree, closing one eye and sticking her tongue out to the side, carefully aiming the magic. Dirk grabbed Jake’s leg to get his attention (who was still ranting. How long can this guy rant for? Thought Dirk, He worse than Dave). Jake had stopped mid-sentence, turning to Dirk, “What is it Dirk?” Dirk nodded towards Jade and the others, Jake gaping at the site, “holy cumuli” he had said under his breath. Just then Jade, unable to hold the energy any longer, released it spiralling towards the old tree. Dirk calculated in a matter of seconds what was about to happen, but he wouldn’t have been able to run fast enough to get to her in time. The ball of magic had hit the tree, illuminating it with a faint green halo (a few electric sparks appearing up and down the tree), before the tree rejected the magic, sending it flying back to its caster, which, unfortunately, was Jade. Before she or anyone else (other than Dirk) could register what just happened, the magic hit Jade straight in the face, knocking her back onto the ground, a soft green glow emanating from her.

“JADE!” Cried Jake as he dashed off the log towards her, drawing the attention of Terezi, Latula and Jane, who all made their way towards her as well. Dirk flash-stepped over, cursing under his breath. “Jade…” John said, worry and guilt evident in his voice. Both Rose and Dave frowned worriedly, probably feeling just as bad as John. However, Jade’s eyes slowly fluttered open as the green glow slowly started to reside. “Ooooh boy, that felt really, really funny,” Jade said as she sat up, rubbing her temples. Everyone was relieved. Jade then had a funny look on her face, and she brought her hands up to her hair (which looked to be covering something, her long black locks elevated a few inches from her head). Her hand had rubbed at the elevated spots, removing the hair from the offending objects. Dirk could see the shock on Jade’s face (which probably mimicked everyone else’s) as she held a white, soft wolf ear in her hand. “Oh… my… god…” Jade said in a disbelieving voice, her eye’s dilating, “Is… is that a… an ear…?” She had let go on the one ear to uncover the other one on the opposite side of her head. When she felt that one twitch, she gaped, both ear’s flattening to her head as she began to panic, “What… how… why… how even....” she began to say, looking down at her hand’s as if they had the answers. John, not getting how distraught she is, said “Oh my GOD Jade! You have wold ears! That’s so cool!!! Can you like, talk to animals now?” Dirk, thinking this would make Jade upset, was about to rib John when Jade’s wold ears perked up. “Huh,” She said as she looked deep in thought, “I actually don’t know. That’s a good question!” Jake brought his sister into a crushing hug, “Oh my god Jade! Don’t do something like that again! I don’t even know if we can fix this!” Jade hugged Jake before pushing away and frowning, “Well maybe I don’t want to fix this!” She said, crossing her arms, “I think it’s pretty cool to be part dog! Like, now maybe I’ll be able to talk with animals! Won’t that be awesome!!?” Jake sighed exasperated, “But Jade, we don’t know how this might affect you and-,” Jade held up her hand, stopping Jake. “Jake, I will be fine! If I start having any problems, we can ask the fairies if they can fix it, alright?” Jake stared at Jade, who glared back at him, for a good minute before he reluctantly sighed and nodded, “Fine, deal.” He held out his hand, which Jade took and shook hard. 

Dirk looked at the old tree Jade had fired at and then back to Jade. “I think I know why the tree didn’t absorb your magic,” He said as he motioned to the tree, “It may be a living thing, but your spell is supposed to turn the creature or being that was targeted to become part wolf, and a tree is not compatible with a wolf.” Jade and the other looked at Dirk, intrigued, “Sure, if you were to cast a creation spell on a dog or wolf, making it part tree, it would work, making the animal become a willow wolf, which are common in the woods around magical sites. Their made out of roots all twisted together, and often have glowing eyes. But, unlike adding tree traits to a dog, you can’t add dog traits to a tree, so the magic didn’t work. That’s probably why it bounced back and hit you, turning you part wolf.” Dave, seeing an opportunity, said, “Wait, so does this make you a bitch now or….?” Damn, thought Dirk with a smirk on his face, he sure knows an opportunity when he sees one. Jade huffed and turned around, kicking Dave in the shins. Dave yelped and jumped back, rubbing the sore spots on his legs. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Following that answer, Jade chased Dave around the camp until she got him pinned to the ground, smirking as she shoved his face into the ground. “What do you saaaaaay?” she said, cooing at Dave. Dave grumbled before responding, “Sorry for calling you a Bitch.” With that Jade got off and Dave and marched back to the group triumphantly, Dave standing and following behind with his head hung low. “S331NG 4S HOW W3’V3 4LR34DY W4ST3D 3NOUGH T1M3 H3R3,” Terezi said as she grabbed a bag of supplies, hiking it over her shoulder, “L3T’S ST4RT MOV1NG! 1’M ST1LL COUNT1NG ON YOU BUY1NG M3 MY TR34TS 4ND BOOK ONC3 W3 G3T TH3R3 STR1D3R!” Dirk grumbled and grabbed his own things, everyone else doing the same. Terezi lead the way, only this time she derived from the path, moving through the thick bush.

John, Dirk and Dave grumbled, all complaining whenever their clothes caught on a branch or if they were scratched by some thorns. Jake and Jade, however, were climbing over fallen trees, rocks, jumping over small rivers, and much more, all while laughing. Dirk couldn’t understand what was so fun about walking through the woods. It’s slow, painful (as evident when Dirk stubbed his toe on a hidden rock) and unnecessary. John could fly, as could Terezi, Latula and Dirk. Dave, Rose, John, Jane and Jake could easily be carried by them, but when he brought this to Terezi she told him they couldn’t or else they could miss any scent of the fairies. They continued walking like this for about half an hour, the sun starting to dip behind the trees. Dirk was behind the other’s enjoying his solitude. John and Dave had moved up to Jane and Rose, Terezi and Latula conversing, probably talking about tracking any fairy activity, while Jake and Jade had run off to god knows where. He was quiet content, or, that is, until this annoying as hell bug was flying by his ear. His swatted it, only for it to come back and hit him the side of the head. He scowled and looked to the side that was hit, seeing a weird firefly fly about over his shoulder. The fire fly had a pink glow to it, yet Dirk couldn’t see the source of the light. He brought his hand up and flicked it to see what it would do, which was actually a lot. 

The fire fly’s center glowed and grew slightly, revealing a mini-human with wings that looked like an insects, only theirs had more curves and points, and were a bright pink. As the light died down, the full form of the person came to be seen. It was a girl, her hair about shoulder length, which spiking at the bottom and was a very light pink. Her skin was fair like Rose or the Striders, and she was wearing a purple dress that stopped at the knees and which was ripped along the bottom (probably from years of use OR for style, maybe a bit of both). From what Dirk could see, her eyes were also a rich pink. “Hey! What’cha doin’ that for?? I didn’t do nothin’ to ya! F.Y.I Mr. Hits-a lot, I’m a fairy, and we rather enjoy not being pushed around!” the small fairy said as she pinched Dirk’s cheek. Dirk smirked as he poked the fairy, “Well please excuse me fairy chick, but you didn’t tell me you were a fairy before you started buzzing in my ear like a fly. You’re lucky I didn’t squash you.” With that the Fairy hit the side of his head again, “Well you’re lucky you’re cute or else I woulda kicked your ass by now!” Dirk put his hands over his heart, “I’m flattered.” The small fairy beamed and poked Dirks cheek, “You better be!” She flew in front of Dirk, who stopped before he ran into her. She held out her hand and grinned, “My name’s Roxy Lalonde, F. Y. I.” Dirk took his pointer finger and put it in Roxy’s hand, carefully shaking it up and down, “Nice to meet you Roxy, My names Dirk Strider.” She quickly let go of his finger and flew up to his face eagerly, squealing, “O.M.G! You’re THEE Dirk Strider? Prince of the Half-Blood Dragons? O.M.F.G I’m swooning’,” She said as she dramatically put her hand on her forehead and landed on his shoulder dramatically. Dirk smirked as he walked forward, catching up the group, “Glad to see I have a fan.” She sat up on his shoulder, “We’ll I’m not so much a fan as I am just someone eager to meet new people. I read all about ya and your family in my mother’s history books! This is the farthest I’ve been allowed out of the Kingdom and I finally meet someone new, who’s also hot and a prince!! Which is, might I say, Awesmazing!” She continued to beam at Dirk who smirked down at her. 

Well, that is until he remember why they had trudged through the woods in the first place. He turned to Roxy, “Hey, is it ok if I tell my group about you? We’re sort of on a serious mission and we sort of need your people’s help.” Roxy jumped up from her sitting position and steady herself on his shoulder. “A totally serious super mission, a hot prince, a load of new people, and they need my help? Count me in sugar!” She said eagerly. Dirk nodded and hurried up to the group. “Yo,” He said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention (Jake and Jade’s as well, as they poked their head out from behind a tree a few meters into the woods), “See this,” Dirk said as he held his finger out to Roxy, who stepped off his shoulder to perch on his finger, bring his hand with Roxy back out for everyone to see, “This nice pink flutter-bug is gonna help us.” Roxy giggled at the name, slapping Dirk’s hand, “FAIRY!” she corrected before looked at the baffled group, “And might I add, a very special one since y’all didn’t hear me talking with Di-Stri here.” Terezi pushed past everyone over to Dirk and Roxy. “BUT HOW D1D 1 NOT SM3LL YOU! YOUR P1NK, W4T3RM3LON FL4VOUR SHOULD H4GV3 B33N MOR3 PR3S3NT B3FOR3 NOW!!!” Terezi said confusedly as she eyed the small fairy. Roxy laughed nervously, “Ah hahaha… uh yeah, ‘bout that, I’m not like a normal fairy. You see, my ability revolves around… around the void.” Or Darkness, though Dirk as he looked down at the fairy. Void is the term used to describe the world beyond the portals that once lead to magic beings old world. When Caliborn, or Lord English, destroyed it, he left a thick Darkness in his wake which seeps through the portal every now and then, tainting the surrounding land. There are said to also be some scary creature’s beyond the portals too, though most people who go through the portals usually never come but or come back crippled, corrupted and/or insane. There are stories of people and creatures carrying part of the void in them, making them immune to its effects while also giving them some cool abilities, like invisibility or the ability to conjure up any object they wish, though that one is rare. There are very few who are gifted with abilities like that, especially any pure creatures, like fairies, who usually are susceptible to the voids effects and who aren’t compatible with the voids powers. 

Terezi, apparently needing no more explanation, continued, “OK, W3LL M1SS FRU1TY F41RY, C4N YOU T4K3 US B4CK TO YOUR K1NGDOM? W3 N33D TO SP34K TO YOUR K1NG 4S4P!!” Roxy smiled and flew off Dirk’s finger, saluting to Terezi, “Right away! Follow me!” Roxy’s body began to glow again, and it disappeared leaving nothing but a bright, pink light in its place. The pink light slowly began to go through the woods, stopping every so often to let the group catch up to her. Dirk was glad she was leading now because, unlike Terezi, she was leading them through less dense bush, making it easier for them. They began to head through a patch of willow trees until they came upon this tall, willow tree wall which looked to reach about a mile in either direction. It was backed up against the base of one of the mountains that are scattered about the land. The pink light disappeared through the thick willow leaf canopy which blocked out any view of what was on the inside. Terezi whacked dirk on the back of the head, and when he turned to look at her she gave him a look that said, “PR1NC3S F1RST”. After glaring at her for a few seconds Dirk turned back to the thick, layered canopy. He took a deep breath before stepping through the leaves. He was pretty sure he was pushing past the stingy leaves for a good ten seconds before he reached the opening. He stared in awe at the site. There were many willow trees in the clearing, spaced out at least 10 metres from one another in the most dense of areas, their leaves trimmed so that they only were at the top of the tree, leaving enough room for people to move around without getting tangled in them. Those tree clusters stretched the whole length of the willow tree barrier. The buildings where those tall, wide willow trees, which were hollowed out. The tree’s stopped about a mile into the clearing at a wide, arched entrance to a Cave. There was a huge waterfall which feed into a lake within that cave, a huge castle carved out of the stone just at the top of the waterfall (the waterfall probably being the entrance to said castle). There were decoration stung all about, from willow to willow, whether it be flowers, lights, or pinecones. But what was more amazing than the view was the fact that he was, in fact, the very size of a fairy. The willow trees were towering over him, everything small now normal sized, and everything normal sized now big!

Dirk took a few seconds to collect himself, the rest of the group joining him in this weird experience. “Whoa,” breathed Jade as she entered, followed by a “Holy crap,” from Dave. Roxy, the fairy who had lead them here, was not so small anymore and was actually taller than Dirk. She was giggling, he wings flapping behind her as she floated off the ground. “You all should see your faces!” She blurted out through giggles, “You guys look hilarious!!” Dirk looked at Roxy and crossed his arms, “Ro-lo (He thought since she’s calling him something, he should too), we’re sort of on a very important mission. Care to help us out?” Roxy snapped out of her giggling fit with a “oh right!” before she flew off. “w3ll th1s 1s pr3tty r4d,” Latula said as she looked around, “th1s 1s som3 tr1ppy sh1t.” Rose nodded, “The fairies must have perimeter set up so that, if anyone were to visit, or, may I say, attack them, they would be equally matched.” “Whatever it is, it’s really cool!” John said as he used his powers so fly up in the air, whizzing around the town, scaring fairies and greeting others. Just as John scared the fifth fairy he encountered Roxy came back, a large, half nut carriage carried by six butterflies trailing behind her. She bowed, “Curtesy of the king.” Jane went into the carriage eagerly, staring aw awe at the butterflies above her head. Dirk, Terezi and Latula let everyone else board until they transformed into their full forms, wings and all (They had to switch out of their form previously while trekking through the woods as it was too crowded to keep their wings out). As the carriage began to rise John jumped out of his, using his windy powers to stop himself from hitting the ground, following the carriage alongside the Half-bloods. 

They flew past the tree and entered the massive cave through the massive opening, Dirk taking note of the houses carved into walls, most likely for the nobles. They continued to fly until they landed on a small pad in the lake, near the waterfall, a long bridge leading from it into said waterfall. The butterflies gently set the carriage down, allowing it’s passengers to disembark. Jane peered over the side of the pad, looking into the crystal clear lake water. “Shucks,” She said as she was having trouble seeing the bottom of the lake as it continued down for many, many miles, “How far does that go down?” “About 18 human m1les doll.” Jane jumped back when a tan skinned fairy with a red and black Mohawk and orange wings flew in front of her, answering her question. He was wearing a black outfit with small (probably insect) bones on his outfit. “Rufioh!” Roxy cried and she flew into the other fairies arms. “yo, Lalonde, long t1me no see, how ya been? heard you been out and about.” Roxy pulled away from Rufioh and nodded eagerly, “Heck yeah I’ve been! That’s actually how I found these guys.” She said the last part, nodding behind her towards Dirk and the others. “yo dawg,” Rufioh said as he flew past Roxy towards Dirk, “n1ce to meet you, name’s Ruf1oh N1tram, 1’m sort of the pr1nce here. You’re here to see my dad r1ght?” Dirk nodded, but before he could answer Terezi butted in, “Y3S W3 4R3! 1NF4CT 1T CONC3RNS…” Terezi lowered her voice when she saw other fairies starting to gather around, “1T CONC3RNS LORD 3NGL1SH.” Rufioh’s care free demeanor changed immediately, his whole body stiffening and his mouth being pulled into a thin line. “Follow me,” He said and, without another word, he flew towards the waterfall, casting a large fire ball at the top, evaporating the water as it hit the very hot fire, opening a way into the castle. Roxy followed the group and Rufioh into the castle, the fire ball disappearing, allowing the waterfall to fall back into a constant rhythm while simultaneously keeping anyone who would eaves drop (and, considering how fairies usually behave, would be the whole fucking kingdom) out of the castle.

Out of one of the rooms came another fairy, but this one wasn’t like the others, and Dirk frowned when he saw his one wing. The younger looking fairy, who looked eeirily like rufio (only without the red in his Mohawk), had a missing wing, looking like it was ripped right from its socket in his back (it reminded Dirk a lot of Dave’s wing, and it made him feel really bad for the guy). The fairy also had mechanical legs which, if dirk had to guess, came from the centaurs (their race was always well educated in mechanics), specifically made for this fairy. “hEY, uH, rUFIOh,” Began the smaller fairy in a high pitched voice as he looked at the group, “wHO ARE, uH, tHESE PEOPLE?” Rufioh went over to the other fairy and patted him on his back, “These people are here to see pops.” The younger one nodded and sheepishly held out his hand to Jade, who was the closest to him at the time, “uH, hI, i’M tAVROS nITRAM, UH, ONE OF THE pRINCES.” Jade took his hand eagerly and shook it hard, “Nice to meet you!” She beamed, “I’m Jade Harley! This is Jake English, my brother, John Egbert, My cousin, Jane Crocker, John’s sister and my other cousin…” She went about introducing the whole group, Tavros gaping at them. “sO YOU ALL, UH, CAME HERE TO SEE OUR FARTHER? wHY?” Rufioh looked at Tavros, “you’ll see bro, but as of r1ght now, they need to see pops ASAP.” Tavros nodded and walked with Rufioh, leading the group alongside his brother to the throne room. 

When they reached the throne room, there stood the tallest of fairies, which was, in fact, the King. His wings looked similar to Rufiohs, as did his clothes, only difference being his sleeves were long, not short and he had a long, black cape flowing after him with intricate designs sown into it in Red and orange, a golden crown placed upon his head. Roxy, Tavros and Rufioh bowed when they reached the base of the throne. “My king,” Roxy said respectfully, Tavros and Rufioh each saying, “Father” as their greeting. Dirk looked over to Terezi, who had gone down on one knee also. Dirk followed suit, the rest of their group showing their respect as well. The king raised his hand and smiled fondly, “No need to be so formal my friends. What brings you here to my awesome kingdom?” Roxy and the other two fairies raised from their kneeling position, but before they could say anything, Dirk stepped forward, saying bluntly, “Lord English has returned and we are seeking a way to stop him. We were hoping you’d be able to aid us.” The king became ridged, his eyes filled with fear and worry. Dirk remembered fairies had a long life span similar to that of any half blood, meaning that the King was probably there when the old world was destroyed and during the war with the humans. Heck, he probably was the one who convinced the remaining magical entities to go into hiding, making a whole secret society of magic creatures. “He’s free?” Said the king after a long time of silence, “Where those tremors…” He trailed off, Dirk nodded, “And that feeling…” he continued only to trail off again, though Dirk still knew what he meant and responded, “Yes, that horrible, vile feeling was due to him, as were the tremors. He already has gotten to work destroying the mortal’s kingdom. He sent in assassins to kill their king, and once he was out for the count, Lord English sent in the bitch Condy to fuck the kingdom over, causing chaos and negative energy he could feed from to grow stronger.” The King nodded, stepping down from his throne and moving towards the group. “If this is the case,” He began, voice grave, “How do you expect me to help? Or, as a matter of fact, any of us to help?” Dirk looked to Terezi, who spoke on cue, “W3 W3R3 HOP1NG, SP1CY F41RY K1NG, TH4T YOU WOULD B3 4BL3 TO D1R3CT US TO TH3 MOST M4G1C4L PL4CS 1N TH3 K1NGDOM.” Before the king could ask why, Terezi continued, “SO TH4T W3 M4Y F1ND C4LL1OP3, WHO M4Y B3 4BL3 TO R1V4L LORD 3NGL1SH OR 4T L34ST T3LL US HOW TO STOP H1M.” The king nodded, looking away, appearing to be deep in thought. He turned back to the group after a moment. “First off,” He began, a smile slowly creeping up on his face, “You may call me the Summoner, as when I was younger I could call upon any creature to my defence, and the nick name sort of stuck. Two,” He continued as he walked past everyone down the hall of the castle, “I’ll help you to my fullest extent, but I must first consult with my historians who should know where these locations are.” He stopped midway down the hall, turning slight back towards the group, “Oh, Roxy, please tell your mother I’d like to speak with her on this matter. Also see to it that out guests are comfortable.”

And with that he disappeared in a ball of fire.


	8. A Prophecy and Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake's POV. They stay at Roxy's house, we meet Roxy's mom, whos also a seer, and Jake learns more about the prophecy surround him and his friends. Then they meet with the King of the Fairies, find out some things, and get themselves in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know its been awhile since I've updated, but with my exams being over I can assure you all that these updates will be coming more often, but if they don't that just means you get an extra long chapter, like this one! (which is about 12 pages in Word) 
> 
> It was also brought to my attention a few chapters ago that there is a plot hole which I will address in the following chapter. I want to let you all know I have a basic understand about how the plot is going to go, but I do not know how every chapter is going to go, so, as mentioned, there may a few plot holes due to this. But I can assure you, I will do my best to patch up any plot holes in this stories road! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this Chapter! ^w^

Jake was awestruck at how vast and expansive the Fairy Kingdom was! There were so many opportunities to adventure and explore it! However, after the meeting with the King of the Fairies, who wanted them to refer to him as “the Summoner”, Jake and his friends were lead away into the castle by Roxy and Rufioh, presumably to the guest quarters. Rufioh waved to everyone, telling them he wouldn’t be accompanying them and that they should “Take it easy yo,” before walking down the long corridor, back the way they came. They all believed they would be staying in the castle, or that was until Roxy lead them out of the large castle, heading for a small Tree (presumably her house) within the courtyard. The small Tree was sitting on a small island just above the crystal clear water which made up the courtyard (and the same water which fed the waterfall). The half-blood’s, still in their full form, took off into the air (all expect Dave) to follow the flying Roxy towards the small Island.

As for the people who couldn’t fly, they walked on large patches of stone on their way to the Tree (which, as Jake saw more of it, had a deep chocolate brown trunk with violet and pink flowers taking the place of leaves) humongous gold fish swam past, splashing anyone too close to the edge. Jake was intrigued and went closer to the edge to see if what he just saw was real (Because Gadzooks! A Giant goldfish is definitely something he wanted to see!). But when the second fish swam by, it sent a tidal wave onto the side of the rock Jake was on, drenching him in cold water. “Oh for frick fracks sake!” Exclaimed Jake as he peered down at his water soaked clothes, the others behind him laughing or giggling at his (unfortunate) situation. Thankfully he had it in his right mind to leave his supplies further back, though he was unsure if they got a bit wet. “Hehehe, Jake! Don’t stand so close to the edge if you’re going to complain about getting soaked to the bone!” Exclaimed Jade as she held her side from laughter. John also mimicked her position, the two looking like twins with how they were laughing. “Oh shush Jade! And you too John!” Jake said as picked up his supplies (which, luckily for him, were not wet) before he stormed down path made of large stones, “I just wanted to look over the edge to see if there was a big blubbering fish about, not get splashed by said fish!” It apparently was Dirk’s turn to say something. “Still your fault Jake,” Dirk said as he hovered hover Jake and the laughing cousins, “if you wanted to get a better view you could have just asked me to give you a lift ya know.” Jake’s eyes went wide, a grin spreading across his face, “Really? Well colour me ecstatic! Get down here old chum and give me a lift would you?” Dirk smirked and crossed his arms, “Sorry English, that offer only stood when you weren’t soaked. Like hell I’m going to get freezing cold and wet just so you can site see.” Jake’s expression drop into a pissed off pout, “Well then you shouldn’t have said anything Strider! You got my hopes up you know! I’ll get you back for that.” Jake knew exactly how he was going to get back at Mr. Strider. Before Dirk could make a quick comeback, Jake took off his shirt and flung the dripping wet piece of attire at Dirk, hitting him straight in his smug face with a good SPLAT!

Dave, who had only been smirking at the whole encounter, burst out laughing at the sound, while John was laughing so hard he was wheezing. The rest of the group also broke out into some form of laughter, some laughing as hard as John while others had a light chuckle like Miss Rose. Dirk pealed the wet shirt from his face, the smug smirk he held now gone and replaced with a glare towards Jake. Jake was laughing with the rest of the group at Dirk expression until Roxy whistled, “Dang Jakey! You got some muscles on ya!” she called out over the growing laughter. Jake stopped his laughter abruptly as he could feel his face lite up on fire, he himself crossing his arms to cover up his now exposed chest. Jake may be fine with showing off his legs, however he was not so glad to show off his torso as he felt too exposed when it wasn’t covered up. Looking back, Jake realized that throwing his shirt at Dirk probably wasn’t his best plan ever. Bloody Hell, thought Jake as he tried to find a way out of the situation, That was darn foolish of me, dammit! Now I’ll have to try and reason with Strider. Jake looked up and smiled sheepishly as he asked, “Uh, Dirk, chap, may you toss me down my shirt since you obviously didn’t want it in the first place?” Dirk peered down and looked Jake up and down, a sly smile creeping up on his face. “Hmmm, Nah, I’d rather cherish this present from you,” Dirk said as he held up the wet shirt. “And the view.” Dirk added with a wink, causing the heat on Jake’s cheeks to spread to his ears and neck. Jake sputtered and tried to form a coherent sentence to ask Dirk what the world he meant by that, but gave up when everyone started to wriggle their eyebrows at him, giving him a funny look. He brushed it off, but still being shirtless and flushed a deep red, he hurried ahead of the group to the Tree.

Roxy flew ahead with him, a big grin on her face as they reached the house. She twirled around, posing with her arms stretched wide to the group. “Ta-Da!” She cheered, “Welcome to mamma’s home sweet home!” Rose smiled lightly, “It’s quiet a lovely tree, I must say I do enjoy the colour choices, however this tree is much smaller than the tree’s outside this cave. May I ask how this tree is even alive and how you and your mother live in it, since it’s very small?” Jake hadn’t taken a real good look at how tall the tree was, but now, since their right next to it, he found that the tree was only about 3 metres taller than him, and it wasn’t all that wide either, probably 4 metres across at most. He also noticed how at this end of the Cave, no true light reached this far in. Most of the light within the cave this far back was either magic fire or light from outside bouncing off the lake, illuminating the cave in a mystic silver or golden glow. He was now curious to the answers to those questions as well. Roxy’s big grin grew larger, “Well you see, this isn’t like any of those other trees out there,” she said, pointing to the willow’s outside, “This tree is special, my mother calls it a moon blossom! It doesn’t need direct sunlight, and since it’s so sensitive to the sun’s rays, it can even absorb them off the moon’s light bouncing off the water! And even then it doesn’t rely mostly on the sun for its nutrients.” She pointed towards the base of the tree, “Below there is its roots, which soak up the lake’s nutrients, more so relying on them than the sun’s rays. The tree is funny, because after it grows upwards for a little bit, most of its growing happens underground with the roots. Our tree’s roots go all the way down to the base of this island at the bottom of the lake, giving us enough room to live comfortably and then some!!” After Roxy’s description, Rose peered over the side of the Island, Jake following suit. He saw how the island expanded underwater, towards the base, with large chunks of root’s protruding from the island as it went deeper into the lake. He also saw a few of those giant gold fish feeding from those roots before those fish swam off into the deep water. 

“Now, since it appears I have all satisfied your sweet tooth for questions, its time to follow me!” Roxy pushed back a mossy curtain which covered the door, entering before beckoning the others to follow her. Dirk had entered first when Terezi pushed him out of the sky into the doorway, saying, “PR1NC3SS3S F1RST D1RK! H3H3H3H3!” There was a loud bang and a “fuck!” before Dirk reappeared in the mossy doorway, flipping Terezi the bird while glaring at her, Terezi just responding with her crackling laugh. Jake pattered Dirk on the back at his miserable attempts to get back at Terezi for pushing him through the door before he saw that Dirk had shoved Jake’s shirt into his right pocket, most of it hanging out and dripping all over the place. “Don’t worry Dirk,” Jake said as he snatched his shirt from Dirk before quickly pulling the damp fabric over himself, “she was right, after all, Princesses go before anyone else!” Dirk jabbed the laughing Jake in the side, mumbling, “Shut up English,” before he turned around and went back inside the tree, followed by Jake and the others. When Jake stepped through the mossy curtain, he was greeted with the smell of lavender and roses. The inside of the tree was a lighter colour than the deep brown on the outside, but it still held that chocolate brown colour to it. Strung around the house was silk tapestries in yellow, gold, magenta, pink, a very deep navy blue and violet. Below their feet was part of the Trunk that wasn’t carved out, making the floor, while off to the side was a spiral stair case leading up (presumably to an upper floor as there was another uncarved floor/ceiling above their heads) and another right beside it leading to the lower levels. Sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room was a woman, the chair’s frame no doubt made from the same wood which makes up this tree, while the cushions looked to be leaves tied to the frame. The woman had short, deep violet coloured hair, her lighter eyes of the same colour were down cast to her lap, focusing on the scarf she was knitting. She was wearing a long, golden dress, black swirls creeping up from the bottom in intricate designs. Jake thought she looked quiet regal.

The woman lifted her head, only momentarily pausing in her knitting to make eye contact with everyone in the group. When she made eye contact with Jake he could not help but feel as if, in that moment, he was picked apart and everything he ever knew, was and will be was caught in her eyes and analyzed to the bone, causing an uneasy chill the run up his spine after she had turned to the next person. When he peered over at his friends, Jane had an uneasy look to her as well, John was doing his best to hide his displeasure, while Jade’s ear’s had flatten even though she was trying not to look to distraught. Even the Strider’s shrank slightly under this women’s gaze. However, when the woman looked Rose in the eye, she held her gaze slightly longer than the others, a smirk appearing on her previously unamused face. Rose’s face remained stoic other than her eye brows rising in slight wonder and confusion. There was a slight glint in each of their violet eyes before the woman broke contact, turning to Roxy. “Daughter,” the women spoke in a gentle, fluid voice as she resumed her knitting, “I take it these are the people who have brought the news that Lord English has returned? And the people that the king wishes us to help?” Roxy’s grin flattered into a pout. “Awwwww com’ on!” Roxy whined, “You always know everything before I get a chance to tell you!!! Nothin’s a surprise!” The woman’s smirk merely grew, “Ah, well in that case,” she cleared her throat and put her knitting aside, batting her eyelashes, “Oh dear daughter, who are these lovely people who I know nothing about? Do tell me why they are here and what news you have brought for me?” the woman said in an overly dramatic tone. This caused a grin to spread over Roxy’s face, “Ok well that’s a start! But yeah, they told the Summoner ‘bout Lord A-hole returning and are asking for our help in finding the most magical places in the kingdom. And FYI, mom, I know something you don’t! The Summo-,” “-oner wants me to meet him in the library to discuss where these magical places are located and how we might aid these travelers in finding them.” Roxy’s mother finished, a smirk playing on her lips. This merely caused Roxy to huff and cross her arms, mumbling, “Geez, grade A party pooper right there.” 

Roxy’s Mom rose from her seating position, her long dress trailing behind her as she moved forward towards the group. “Well, since the king has summoned me, I must be off, it’s a pleasure meeting you, lord of Dragons,” She said as she curtsied towards Dirk before turning to Terezi and Rose, “As well as you two young, yet skilled, seers. I will have time later to talk to you all later, I assure you.” Her hidden, violet wings rose from their position tucked close to her back, deep violet swirls on soft edged wings a great contrast to her daughter’s lighter pink swirls on her sharp edged wings. She walked past the group to the moss door, beginning to push it away before stopping and turning her head slightly to address her daughter. “Roxy Dear, please see to it that our guests get acquainted with their rooms for tonight, 2 to a room as usual.” And with that, her mother was gone, disappearing through the moss that separated them from the huge lake with giant fish, the soft sound of fluttering wings the only indicator she did not disappear completely. 

Roxy waited until the sound of the fluttering wings were distant before she spoke. “OKA DOKA! Time to show you guys where you’ll be bunking.” Roxy walked over to the spiral stare case which lead downwards, pulling her wings close to her back to begin walking down the tight staircase, “Down here guys!” After the half-bloods had changed back to their more human forms the whole group followed Roxy as she lead them down several flights of stairs, passing what appeared to be a kitchen filled with herbs and nuts, a study with shelves which acted as pillars just as much as book shelves and a well-stocked wine room (Roxy stating that it was her idea to put one in as she had acquired a taste for good ol’ mortal wine opposed to the fairies honey suckle cocktails). When they reached the first set of rooms, which were side by side down a small hallway, Dave groaned, “Ugh, if you guys are fairies why do you guys have, like, one hundred thousand fucking stairs in your house? Like seriously, stairs are bad bro, I’m telling ya, plain evil.” Dirk rolled his eyes, “You fell down the stairs ONCE Dave, and that was like, when you were 8.” With that comment Dave had scowled at Dirk, “Yeah, only ONCE cause I don’t trust them enough now to let my guard down around them!” John was chuckling, gaining a glare from Dave before his glare visibly softened upon eye contact. “What’s so funny Egderp? My awesome preaching getting the better of you?” Dave said, the corners of his lip turning upwards slightly into a ghost of a smile, Dave obviously trying to keep his angry demeanor but failing. John snorted while trying to stop his growing laughter, “Geez Dave, I didn’t think you would be scared of stairs! I never heard of someone being scared of stairs before.” Jake grinned smugly as he nudged John in the shoulder, “Well John, you shouldn’t be the one talking as you yourself have an odd phobia of sorts, so don’t get cocky or else I may just have to tell strider here.” 

Dave’s eyes widen a bit and while his ghost of a smile turned into an interested smirk, John’s face fell flat and his laughing stopped abruptly. John turned to Jake, his eyes narrowing, “You wouldn’t dare….” “Oh, but my dear cousin, I would.” Responded Jake smugly. Dave walked over to Jake and leaned against him, never breaking eye contact with John as he said, “So English, what’s the bane of Egbutt’s existence?” “Well its quiet the odd one, you see, he can barely stand being around or near….” Jake trailed off when he saw the look he was getting from John, his eyes narrowed and his face in a scowl. “Jaaaaaake,” John warned as best he could with his hands balled up into fists at his side, looking anything but menacing. The warning was ignored as Jake continued, bring his voice into a hushed tone, “Sweets.” John flipped Jake the bird, Dave just looking over at him confused. “Sweets?” he said. Jake chuckled, “His father may have owned a bakery and forced John here to work at it, but all that time around delicious cake-,” John made a hilariously overly dramatic disgusted face at the mention of cake, “-has taken its toll on poor John. He can’t even look at a cupcake without sneering at it, the poor boy!” Jake mused. Dave stopped leaning on Jake as he looked at John with a hurt expression and held a hand over his heart, “So at our kick ass wedding we can’t have any cake?! That’s the best part Bro!” This drew a chuckle from the previously pissed John (as well as much of their group), “Well if we’re getting married, I’m not being the bride!” Dave walked over to John before jumping up into his arms, earning a surprised yelp from John before a chorus of laughter escaped his lungs. John was trying his best to hold Dave up, bridal style, while laughter shook him as Dave continued, batting his eyelashes, “Don’t worry Egbert, I’ll be the blushing bride with a flowery as fuck head band and dress. Rosey over there will be our flower girl while my bro here is the priest, Jade can also be a flower girl too with Rox. You’ll end up carrying me into the sunset on the back of some majestic white horse or some shit with a sign saying ‘Just married my best bro yo’ or whatever. I’ll be swooning the whole way.” Suddenly John couldn’t hold Dave anymore and dropped him on his bottom with a loud thud. John was curled in on himself from laughter, wiping away the tears in his eyes, while Dave was on his back, staring up blankly at the ceiling. Terezi had let out a loud howl of laughter with Roxy, while Jade, Jane, Jake and Rose smiled at the two, Dirk merely rolling his eyes, a smirk on his lips. “John,” Began Dave in a monotone voice, waiting for John to calm down and reply with a laughing ‘What’ before saying in the same tone of voice, “I’m calling for a Divorce.” This caused everyone to burst into laughter, John’s sparking back up in full force while Dave’s mouth curled up into a smile. 

Roxy patted John on the back with a laugh and grin, though it appeared she maybe patted him too hard as he cringed a little on impact. “Oka Doka you two, enough of that bullshit,” She paused before adding, “Well, unless you want to get married, cause in that case we got the booze for it.” John, turning pink, vigorously shook his head while Dave got up and said a simple, “Nah,” before Roxy remembered what they were supposed to be doing. “Oh shit, almost forgot! Ok guys, get in pairs of 2 so I can sort ya into rooms.” John immediately hooked arms with Dave, who didn’t seem to mind as he smirked with the grinning John, while Rose had turned to Jade with a small smile which Jade returned with a grin and nod. Jake glanced over at the other strider to see he had been looking at Jake with raised brows. Jake grinned, “Well mate, guess it’s you and me again!” Dirk had a small smirk as he nodded to Jake before turning back to Roxy. Latula and Terezi shared a glance with one another before Terezi turned back to Roxy, “SORRY, BUT L4TUL4 4ND M3 4R3 GO1NG TO B3 H34D1NG B4CK TO D3RS3. W3 W3R3 SUPPOS3 TO GO B4CK B3FOR3 W3 C4M3 H3R3 W1TH TH3S3 DORKS, BUT 4FT3R W3 H34RD TH4T LORD 3NGL1SH H4D H3NCH M3N RUNN1NG 4BOUT, L1K3 ‘CONDY’, TH3 D4RK DR4GON D1RK MENT1ON3D 34RL13R, W3 ONLY D3C1D3D TO COM3 TO PROT3CT D1RK 4ND D4V3. BUT S331NG 4S HOW THOS3 LOS3RS 4R3 OK 4ND S4F3 H3R3 M3 4ND L4TUL4 4R3 GO1NG TO H34D B4CK.” Latula nodded, “Y34h, sorry, 1t w4s tot4ly r4d m33t1ng you Roxy, you s33m l1k3 on3 h3ll of 4 p4rty g1rl!” Latula fist bumped Roxy before she looked back at Terezi. Dave smirked, “Damn TZ, gonna miss ya you know. You too LT.” Terezi grinned before walking over and punching Dave in the shoulder, “W3R3 ONLY GO1NG TO G3T MOR3 SUPPL13S, SH33SH. 1F YOU C4N’T H4NDL3 US B31NG GON3 FOR 4 DOY OR TWO TH3N YOUR 4 G41NT WUSS!” Dave rubbed his hurt arm and rolled his eyes, “Wow, thanks Terezi I feel so loved.” There were a few more quick good byes between everyone before Terezi and Latula ascended the stairs and departing on their journey back to Derse.

But, with Latula and Terezi gone, that left Jane by herself. Jane smiled sheepishly as she looked away from everyone, sending a pang of guilt to surge through Jake. Roxy noticed how glum Jane had gotten and went over to her, hugging her to her own side with one arm, “Don’t worry Janey, you and me can have a slumber Paaaaaaaartaaaiii!!” Exclaimed Roxy cheerfully. Jane perked up at that, smiling grandly at Roxy, “Really? Oh shuck buster that sounds great!” Jake smiled to himself when Jane hugged Roxy. Ah, it appears Roxy and Jane are going to be quiet the friends, though the two are frickin’ polar opposites with Jane’s timid ways and Roxy’s outgoing cheer, he realized, his smile growing wider at the thought of how such different people can become friends so quickly. Roxy slung her arm around Jane’s shoulders after she was released from the hug, eyeing all the pairs to make sure they were ‘okay’. She stopped peering at the pairs when she set eyes on John and Dave. “Hmmm I don’t know guys…,” She said as she held her chin like she was deep in thought, though that grin plastered over her face proves otherwise, “You two were going on and on about some redonkulious wedding you were going to have…,” She paused to look directly at the pair, “you sure I can trust you dorks not to do THE do in the bedroom?” She emphasized her point with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. 

At first Jake thought she was being a little mean with such teasing, however he soon couldn’t care as he began laughing at the bright shade of red John had turn with the comment, not a single bit of him was his usual light tan colour. Dave, who was trying to act unfazed by the comment, had a deep blush on him, though his was not as severe as John’s. Dirk also joined in with Jake’s booming laughter at the way his brother light up. Rose, after some chuckles, cleared her throat to grab everyone’s attention. “Even though I do enjoy teasing poor John here,” Rose said as she looked over at John with a slight smile before turning to Dave to continue, “and it has been quiet amusing watching David react as he did, but I must say I am quiet tired after our long journey and would wish for us to be escorted to our rooms.” John mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Rose before Roxy let out a long, bored, “Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.” Roxy pointed to John and Dave then to the first mossy door, the closest room to the winding stairs, “You two love bugs get this room.” She ignored John’s and Dave’s protests and looked at Dirk and Jake before motioning to the second room, “You two dorks get that one.” Dirk nodded, “Thanks Ro-Lo.” “No problem Di-Stri!” She said back with a wink. Jake went over and gave Jade a hug before he smiled and waved at the girls as they descended to the next level below. 

Jake pushed back the stringy moss door way and walked into the room. It was a simple room. It had a king sized bed in the middle made of large flowers and leaves with a twisting wooden frame, the wall painted with what looked to be smashed berries, several animal hide bags hanging from the ceiling by the far wall on the far side of the bed (probably storage), and another small, stringy moss door was off to the side (most likely for the can, thought Jake as he saw a bit of what looked to be a toilet and sink behind the thin, mossy doorway). Jake went over to the hanging hide bags, pulling out of his own bag that he had slung over his shoulder a change of night attire. After getting his night wear he began stuffing his bag with supplies into one of the hanging bags so his things don’t take up any space in this small room. Before Jake had a chance to change into his comfortable, soft, green pajama trousers and tunic, Dirk cleared his throat to get his attention. Jake turned around to face Dirk, who had since moved to sit on the bed, “Yes Strider?” Jake asked patiently. Dirk nodded to Jake’s pajama’s in his hand, “Got any I could use tonight English?” Jake let out a small ‘Oh’ before he nodded, retrieving his bag he had just put away to grab some spare P. J.s he had brought with him. Though as he turned around to hand the black night shirt and shorts to Dirk, he paused, a question popping into his head which was quiet a dozy. Jake turned fully around after a brief second, handing the set of night clothes to Dirk as he asked, “Hey ol’ chap, you wouldn’t know what type of powers I have with all your knowledge, would you?” 

Jake could noticeably see Dirk tense for a few moments, his hands stilling from unfolding the set of clothes handed to him and his eye’s adverted from Jakes. He relaxed slightly as he replied with a slight upturn of the lips, “Nope.” Jake didn’t buy that sorry excuse and crossed his arms, “I think you aren’t being straight with me Strider-,” “Was never straight to begin with bro,” “you seem to be quiet clever, so I’m pretty certain mate that you’re not telling me the whole whoopy doo da deal.” Dirk sighed and rolled his head back and forth before looking back at Jake with a shrug, “I guess I may know.” That was more honest, however Jake still felt that Strider should tell him what he thinks it is, and he was sure as heck not about to let up now knowing he may find out. “How do you know?” probed Jake as he sat next to Dirk on the bed, setting aside his P. J.s. Dirk looked away from Jake, straight ahead at the decoratively painted wall with flowers adorning it. “First off, I don’t know 100%, but I’ll tell ya what I think. Ok,” began Dirk with a slight laugh, “Where do I even begin?”

“There’s this prophecy,” Dirk continued, his small smile growing, “and it has something to do with you and all of us in this weird group we’ve made, and apparently more people if I deciphered it correctly.” Jake nodded when Dirk glanced over at him, “Continue.” Dirk nodded and looked down at his hands this time, “So the prophecy says that Lord English, the bad guy who wants to fuck over our world just to please himself, will be defeated by…,” Dirk paused suddenly, and Jake was about to question what was wrong until Dirk continued, “by a group of people. Now, from what you can tell, our group isn’t just humans, it appears to be accumulating some half-bloods of other races as well. The Prophecy states the Lord E will be destroyed once and for all by a group of human wizards and seers and many half-bloods. Now, my peoples scholars had thought that these ‘half-bloods’ were only dragon half-bloods, like myself, but apparently not. Fairies are Half-bloods of winged nymphs and humans, so I have a feeling that chick Roxy is going to tag along. Anyways, the prophecy didn’t go into too much depth about the half-bloods, as you could probably tell since we knew jack all of which type would be accompanying the humans. The prophecy did, however, go in depth about the human’s powers, each given a specific aspect to match, but they didn’t say who was who or who got what except for one person. There was one of ‘Breath’, a.k.a air, wind, whatever, we already know that’s John. Then there was ‘Life’, that deals with healing and shit, which, from what I’ve heard, belongs Jane. Then there’s ‘Space’ that deals with creation and movement, and since we’ve seen Jade cast a creation spell that went to shit, I can safely say that’s her aspect. And that Rose girl is a seer of some sort, most likely “light”, which deals with fortune and luck, considering she was able to see good and bad outcomes coming. Now…,” Dirk paused to shift so he’s sitting cross legged on the bed, facing Jake. Jake moved to mirror Dirks position, only he was holding his head up on his hands, elbows on his knees for support. Dirk continued, “Now… I can’t safely say what your aspect is, because apparently it isn’t just going to be 5 humans, but 6, who help kick Lord E’s ass.” Jake raised an eyebrow, eye’s wide with confusion. Six? Wondered Jake, We only have 4! Who on Earth would want to travel with us knowing we’re going to go fight a big, crazed demi-god dragon? People with a few gears short of a clock, that’s who! 

Dirk chuckled at Jake’s confused expression, “I know right? We’ll just have to keep our eye out for more humans who seem off. But as I was saying, there are 3 more people mentioned in the prophecy, but there are only 2 more aspects. Apparently two of the humans share an aspect, one using its powers physically, like wielding it, while the other uses it to make decision, and, from what I’ve seen from Terezi, it’s no doubt a seer. Actually, if I’m right, I think it’s a seer and knight pair.” Jake’s eyebrows just shot further up. “No, no, not a normal knight, sheesh. These knights have gifted magical abilities like a wizard, only not as powerful, so they use their strength to make up for their lack of power. You know Latula?” Jake nodded “Well she’s that kind of knight. So is Dave. Siblings usually share the same aspect, with one having more power than the other, usually leading to a knight and wizard or seer pair. Terezi and Latula are an example of a seer and Knight of mind, meaning they are able to manipulate people using their critical thinking skills and actions or even see the outcomes of bad decisions. As for me and Dave, we’re one of the odd balls. Dave is a knight of time, since he just lacks the ability to use his powers to his fullest potential. I, on the other hand, am a wizard, though I am usually referred to as a prince due to my noble blood. My aspect is ‘heart’, where I’m able to manipulate souls. It’s pretty damn cool if you ask me, can kick some serious ass with it. As you can see, sometimes siblings share an aspect, or have totally different ones. But the fact still remains the same, two of them share an aspect, which most likely means their siblings, whoever the fuck THEY are. And, as I mentioned before my long rant of siblings and shit, the prophecy gave only one name, and that was a last name, ‘English’. It also said that this person wouldn’t wield their powers right away-,” Jake huffed at that, because damn the prophecy! It was no fair he had to wait for some stupidly awesome powers, “-and he would take time to learn how to use them even when they begin to show. It said his aspect was ‘Hope’, which inspires people and is the essence of pure light magic. Since you last name is English I assume you’re him, and therefore, I assume that your aspect is ‘hope’.”

Jake nodded, trying to take all this information in. He soon began beaming at Dirk before rushing forward and hugging the big doff. Dirk let out a surprised ‘huh?’ his arms hovering over Jake. Jake rolled his eyes as Dirk hesitation, “I’m not about to chomp at you Dirk.” That was all the encouragement Dirk needed before he brought his arms around Jake’s back, hugging him tightly. Just before Jake was about to pull away he felt something sharp clamp down on his shoulder. He let out an embarrassing sound in surprise as he pulled away to see Dirk licking his lips, an impression left on Jake’s shoulder. “Didn’t say I wouldn’t bite.” Dirk said with a smug grin, eyeing the mark he made. Jake’s cheeks began to heat up ats he stood, grabbing the night clothes next to where he was previously sitting, and marching to the other end of the room, beginning to change hurriedly. Jake could hear Dirk snickering under his breath, Jake thinking with a slight grumble, Fuck that preposterous Strider and his crazed Shenanigans! He can go kiss my ass! Jake, realizing what he just thought, chuckled to himself, Though I bet if I were to say that he literally would, since he’s flabbergasting buffoon. 

After buttoning up his night top, and with his trouser on, he turned around, spotting Dirk, dressed in the night wear he was given, already laying in the king-sized fairy bed above the giant leaf quilt, staring up at the ceiling adorned with more paintings of flowers. Jake quickly went over, taking off his glasses and setting them aside, and tucked himself into the (surprisingly) cozy bed, only then realizing how tired he actually was. As he eyes began to drift closed, he felt a shift in the bed, the quilt lifting up, and a warm body next to his. Jake smiled slightly as he let sleep over take him, only remembering an arm going around him and hugging closer some time throughout the night. 

================The Following Morning==========================

Jake was awaken due to the sound of someone knocking on the wooded wall, outside the room, next to the moss door. A voice quickly chimed in “Wakey, wakey boys! The king requests your presence at the castle! Time to get off your butts and hurry up!” It took Jake a few moments to clear his groggy head, rising from his comfortable pillow before yelling to Roxy, while still half asleep, “Ok Roxy, we’ll be out in a bit, ok my dear?” Jake could hear her giggle from where he was, “Geez Jake, not need to be so formal. Anyways we’re all meeting upstairs for some morning grub before ya go see the Mr. High and might King of the fairies!” Jake nodded before he remembered she couldn’t see him, “Ok!” he called back before he could hear her walking down the hall and repeating the same morning routine with John and Dave. After she had left him alone Jake lowered his head again against this amazingly comfy pillow, wrapping his arms around it and pulling it closer, nuzzling closer to it while listening to the rhythmic sound it breathi- BREATHING?!!! 

Jake’s eyes shot open, now wide awake, all sleepiness leaving him. He sat up on his elbows and looked up to see that his was, in fact, hugging Dirk, with his head previously resting on the other’s shoulder. Jake couldn’t believe he had gone and snuggled up to Dirk throughout the night! For a second bloody time!!! Jake turned away and sighed, his face becoming flush from embarrassment. When he looked back at Dirk he took in the view. Dirk’s light, golden blonde hair was still in its spikey pattern, though a bit messier, with his bangs hanging down over his face. Jake could see Dirk’s eye’s moving quickly under his eyelids, and he also noting how light the Striders eye lashes were and the few freckles which dusted his pale face. Sure, these were all things Jake had gotten the chance to see since Dirk and Dave only wore those ridiculous tinted eyewear when there was other humans around, yet he hadn’t noticed in such detail before. Just like he hadn’t noticed how fine Dirk’s jaw and cheek bones were, as they were soft, yet well defined. Or how dashing Dirk looked over all. Or how close his own face had migrated towards Dirk’s until Dirk’s eyes fluttered open, Jake’s emerald green meeting Dirk’s molten golden-orange. Jake was lost for a moment in those eyes, they were so fierce and caring, gentle and protective, they we’re like a swirling storm on the face of the sun! However this moment was short lived as he soon snapped out of his daze, their noses touching with Dirk staring up at him with wide eyes, a slight blush, and raised brows. OH JUMPING JUNE BEETLE IN A JUNGLE! 

Jake quickly sat up fully, scooting away a bit and grabbing his glasses, adjusting them on his face, as he began to feel like he was burning alive with how hot his cheeks had become. Dirk’s eyebrows raised higher, “Uh… Good morning?” he offered, confusion evident in his tone. Jake stammer, “G-Good morning C-chap!” He cursed himself for being such a fool. Dirk rubbed at his eyes before looking back at Jake, “You ok, English?-” Jake nodded, looking anywhere but Dirk, “-Then could you please tell me why the fuck your face was that close to mine when I woke up and why your face looks like a tomato?” Dirk asked before smirking at Jake, “If you don’t give me a good response I’ll automatically assume you were trying to be a prince and wake the sleeping princess with a ‘oh so chaste’ kiss.” That statement didn’t help Jake’s blushing, and when Jake looked back at Dirk, his smirk only grew wider, which meant Jake had turned redder. Jake stammered out, “Get that idea out of your fricking noggin Strider! I was doing nothing of the sort!” When Dirk gave Jake an ‘I don’t believe you for one second’ look, Jake had to come up with an excuse, and fast. “Well you see,” Jake began, trying to find a way out of this hole he had dug himself (might as well have been my grave, Jake thought when he realized just how deep of a hole he had dug himself). He continued in a jumble of words, “Roxy came to wake us up! She actually knocked quiet loudly! That was how I woke up and when you didn’t wake up I started worry and decided to check to see if you were breathing since you looked like you weren’t! Though now that I look back on it I was very foolish seeing as how your quiet well!” Dirk still gave Jake that look saying he doesn’t believe it, but he ended up dropping it by rolling his eyes at Jake and sighing, “So Roxy came to wake us up? What ‘bout?” “The King requested for our presence at the castle.” Dirk nodded before standing from the bed and stretching, his joints popping and cracking. Jake stood as well, quickly giving Dirk a change of clothes. “We have already wasted enough time here, so we best hurry along!” Said Jake once he was dressed in short green shorts and a black, sleeveless shirt, while Dirk was in a short sleeved, grey shirt and black pants. 

After grabbing their things the two rushed upstairs, everyone still crowded in the small living space. Dave and John were leaning against each other, making witty remarks about the odd looking food that caused John to snort and Dave to grin. Jade, Rose, Jane and Roxy had been talking while eating their meals until Roxy looked up and spotted the two. She stood and put her hands on her hips. “Hey! What took you two so-….” She stopped just as she was about to finish her sentence, her cheery grin turning into a sly one. The other’s turned to look at Jake and Dirk, each confused as to why Roxy stopped so suddenly in her greeting. Well, that is until Jake could see each of their confused expression being replaced one by one with a smirk, smug grin or snicker, with few suggestive eyebrow wiggles popping up around the room as well. Jake was starting to become annoyed with these reactions until he peered over to his side and spotted Dirk looking at him, a knowing smirk plastered over his so smug face. Jake looked between Dirk and the others, annoyance boiling over as he spoke, “Ok, what in the dickens is wrong with me to make you all stare at me like I’ve grown a second head?!” Jane snickered out, “Oh nothing Jake…. Just....” She couldn’t finish as her giggling took over. Roxy finished for her, “That’s a nice love bite ya got there sugar.” Jake was shocked, his eyes blown wide as he hurried to find where the offending mark was. And that mark was, in fact, the very bite mark Dirk had given when they had hugged the night before, clearly visible with Jake’s sleeveless shirt. After spotting it, Jake turned to glare at Dirk, his knowing smirk shifting into a proud one. What a smug bastard! Thought Jake as he rammed his fist into Dirk’s shoulder. Everyone began to laugh, which prompted Jake to speak up and try and divert this awful conversation, “What the bloody hell are we having for breakfast?” Though this wasn’t the appropriate response apparently as Roxy’s eyebrow wiggles came in full force, “I don’t know Jakey, Dirk looks as if he already had his breakfast.” She emphasized that point with a wink. Jake grumbled, “Can you please drop the horrible innuendoes and just let me get some grub so we all may meet the King on full stomachs!” Roxy laughed a bit more before giving Jake and Dirk each some huge fruits for their breakfast and some milkweed (it’s apparently the fairies equivalent to that of cow milk, but it tastes rather horrid!). They ate as fast as they could before everyone was hurrying out through the mossy door way into the cool morning air. 

After the incident with his shoulder, Jake had grabbed a green jacket from his bag he had over his shoulder and put it on, much to Roxy’s discontent. Since they were running a bit behind schedule, everyone who couldn’t fly sprinted over the large, slightly slippery rocks while the others flew as fast as they could to the castle. After hurrying through the massive castle corridors the group busted through the doors to the king’s study, all of them panting from the running or fast flying. Roxy, after catching some of her breath, stood and bowed, saying between breaths, “Sorry… we’re late… Sommoner….” When Jake looked around he saw that the King’s study was massive, with book shelves acting as pillars, holding millions of books in each, a large, magical map table of the whole land off to the side, a long, slim fire pit that started a bit away from the entrance which went straight ahead, stopping a few meters from a large table with many chairs placed around it, the long fire pit split the room in two, width ways. It was quiet the sight, thought Jake as his eyes trailed up the length of the fire pit until he saw Roxy’s mother sitting at that large table, a black book in hand, and the King sitting next to her with his two sons, each smiling at the group. The king waved his hand at Roxy’s apology, “No need to apologies Roxy, your mother informed me due to some… bickering… you all would be late.” Rufioh waved everyone over, “cOME ON DOLLS AND DAWGS, wE DON’T HAVE ALL DAY! pLUS THE SEER HERE,” He pointed to Roxy’s mother, “tHINKS SHE KNOWS WHERE THE CLOSEST MAGIC PLACE IS YO!” Dirk nodded and was the first to walk over to the table. Jake sat down next to Dirk, who had sat next to Roxy’s mom. Rufioh and Tavros were on the other side of the King, John and Dave sitting beside them, Roxy beside John and Jade and Jane next to Dirk and Jake. Rose sat across the round table from the other seer, each of them looking at the other. Jake could see a slight glow of Rose’s eyes along with Roxy’s mothers, but it was only brief as the glowing stopped with each of them nodding to one another before the King had cleared his throat. 

“I will make this brief…” said the King as he nodded to a servant fairy off to the side. The small fairy levitated the magical map from the map table and brought it over to the one that the King and the others were sitting at. After they had gently set the map on the table the fairy had retreated back to its spot by the fire pit. The king looked down at the map and continued, “As you may or may not know, we are right here,” The king pointed to the base of a mountain called ‘Widows Watch’, “and we are not the only ones who share this mountain. Deeper into this cave are the arachni, another Half-blood race who we’ve been at peace with for many years. Previously we were fighting due to their habits of eating creatures like us and our own hatred towards them. They decided to call themselves arachni to pay tribute to their heritage of being part spider. Eventually we made peace, the arachni settling further back in the cave since they do not need sunlight to flourish. We had also made a truce not to venture into the others territory without prior knowledge of the others visit. However, at the back of this cave, in the archni’s possession, is the ‘well of fortune and light’ which gives whoever is worthy of drinking from it the ability of an advanced and well trained seer for a few moments. It is also said that you will be able to see far more than any seer could, seeing the future which is positively destined to happen, not just a possible one which could change at any given moment. It may be able to help you all find where other, more magical places are located, because other than this, my people know nothing of the world outside our borders.” That ability to see the exact future sounded fascinating to Jake, and he hoped maybe they would let him drink from the well. Dirk nodded, “Well, if you guys can’t go into their territory, how the fuck do you expect them to allow us into it?” The King smirk slightly, “You see, I am very, VERY good friends with their queen, and if I were to accompany you into the cave, her subjects would not harm you.” That was all Dirk needed to hear as he stood from his chair, “Ok, then let’s get going before Lord English does any other major shit to the mortal world.” Everyone else stood as well, but the king held up his hand to draw everyone’s attention. “I will be staying back for a while to address my people on the matter, Rufioh will also be accompanying me as he is heir to my throne and must learn to address the citizens as well. Tavros and Roxy can lead you through the cave and we will join you as soon as we can.” 

Roxy cheered, “Come on guys! Let’s go to the spider bitches cave! Whoop!” she marched happily down the corridors, the fairy next to her, Tavros, looked more scared than pleased. She led them through the castle out the back, where they ended up walking through a stone garden along a path to a slightly smaller tunnel entrance which, by the looks of it, expanded into a larger tunnel. Roxy stopped at the tunnels entrance and turned towards everyone, “Oka Doka, listen up! We need to be quiet in these tunnels in case any of the arachni, a.k.a, spider ass holes, are wandering closer to our kingdom. F.Y.I. We’re going to stop before we get into their territory, but since these tunnels aren’t used often they sometimes come within metres of this entrance. Stay close and shut up so we don’t become spider food!” She stopped to think for a moment, “Also, if ya have any weapons, I would suggest getting them ready in case we do encounter any arachni.” Jake got his pistols and ammo out of his bag. He smirked, haven’t used these in a while! Hopefully I don’t have to use them, but still…, Thought Jake as he loaded them and attached the holster belt to his waist, it’d sure be nice to use such fine pistols! Dave and Dirk as strapped their swords to the bags they were carrying. John had dug through his bag and pulled out his old, rusty hammer. Jade and Jane said they had left their weapons at Roxy’s house thinking they wouldn’t need them, and that they were too big to carry around without being absolutely sure they needed them. Roxy said it was fine, but that they would have to stay close to the others. After Roxy’s speech Jane looked worriedly at Jake, who nodded to her, letting her know she isn’t the only one who has a bad feeling about this. 

Oh boy howdy, what did I just get myself into? Thought Jake as Roxy and Tavros entered the tunnel, followed by Jake and the rest of the group. The tunnel was damp, and had sharp stalactites and stalagmites protruding from its ceiling and floor. The further they went into the tunnel, the more signs of giant spiders there were. There were huge webs appearing every now and then, obviously abandoned, with several insects of various sizes laying on the ground, their exoskeletons were all that remained of the poor things. Jane stayed close to Jake, holding his arm with a death grip. Jade stayed close to Jake too, her eyes wondering and her ears perked up, alert for any signs of danger. Dave and John were a bit uneasy as Dave’s mouth was pulled into a thin line, his ruby eyes darting from side to side as they walked through the tunnel, while John was slightly behind Dave, using him as a partial shield, his rusty hammer held tight in his hands. Jake stayed slightly behind Dirk, who had moved up closer to Roxy and Tavros, asking questions about the arachni from what Jake could hear, though he wasn’t paying much attention to their idle chit chat. As the webs started to appear more frequently, with some that looked like they were still inhabited, Roxy looked over her shoulder, and said in a hushed whisper, “Ok guys, we’re nearing the edge of their territory, stay close and try not to make too much noise!” Before anyone could respond though, Tavros let out a slight yelp, his whole body shaking. 

“Tavros what’s-,” Roxy began, only to be cut off by a menacing laugh. Jake looked to the shaking Tavros, who was looking skyward, up towards where that laugh was coming from. Descending from a huge crack in the ceiling of the tunnel was, what Jake assumed, an arachni. She had long, black, spikey hair with a slight shine to it, her upper half of her body was that of a human female, only covered by a golden silk wrap. Her skin was a pale grey and her nails looked like talons. Her bottom half was that of a giant spider, probably about twice the size of her upper body, with much of it a dark, deep grey with blue line and streaks. Jake thought she would look rather beautiful if it wasn’t for the uneasy feeling he got when he heard her foul laugh. She lowered herself from the ceiling, peering at the group with two indigo eyes, one them with six extra pupils around the cold, indigo iris. She began smiling wickedly, fangs protruding from her blue painted lips. “Well, well, weeeeeeeell, Wh8t do we have here?” she cooed as her eight legs touched the floor of the cave, a few feet away from the group yet still towering over them. She looked at Tavros, her smile turning into a grin. Jake felt a foul chill run up his spine from how predatory she looked with her cold eyes and dangerous grin.

Tavros cringed away from this creature and went behind the scowling Roxy. Jade had begun to growl, while Jane had went behind Jake and began to shake, her grip on his arm tightening so much he thought she would cut off circulation. Dave put his arm out and pushed John (who was gripping his hammer so hard Jake was sure he would break it in two) back behind him, Dave quickly unlatched from the bag the sheathed sword. He and his brother (who had also grabbed his sword from his own bag) were in fighting stances, their hands on the hilt of their swords, ready to attack. Jake also felt his hands go to his pistols, holding them, ready to pull them out of their holsters at a moment’s notice.

Roxy growled in response to the spider women, “Vriska Skeret, princess spider bitch.”


	9. Spider Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's POV. Vriska's not messing around, picking a fight with the group, and Aranea helps save the day! Then later on they get a glimpse of the future, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii Everyone! Ok, I know I said the updates would come more frequently, however I had just found out from one of my clubs I go to that I will be busy on the weekends, and with second semester starting up, I may be updating every few days (I will do my best so its updated within a week of the last chapter).   
> I will also like to apologize if there is any bad grammar/spelling on the bottom portion of the chapter, as I wrote it late at night with my brain only running on pop.  
> I hope you all enjoy!!! ^w^

Dave smirked slightly at the name. 

He knew who this bitch was, heard countless stories about her, but never seen her in the flesh until this point. Dave and Dirk had changed into their human forms, which were faster and quicker than their dragon ones. Dave gripped his Katana hard, his knuckles turning white as Vriska let out another wail of laughter. “Hahahahahahahaha! Th8t’s g8! Spider 8itch, has a ring to it don’t you th8nk?” She mused as she began to slowly move towards the group, her grin growing and her fangs showing even more. “I’m princess of the arachni, as you 8ll can cleeeeeeeearly s8e. And as Pr8ncess it is my DUTY to prot8ct my Territory, wh8ch you all so happen to be tr8spassing on!!!!!!!!” She hissed, clearly taking pride in the way she made Tavros and Jane jump slightly. Roxy crossed her arms, “This isn’t even your Territory you bitch! This is still fairy land F.Y.I. and we aren’t about to turn back because of your crazed threats.” Vriska’s grin flattered, her expression soon turning to rage as she charged at Roxy, stopping inches away from her as she leaned down to Roxy and said with a hiss, “8ND as Princess it is my d8ty to expand my peoples t8rritory… So I sugg8st you turn around right n8w you pink scum or I won’t let your tr8spassing go unpunished.” Roxy glared up at Vriska, and, not breaking eye contact with her, she conjured up a purple rifle and pressed the muzzle into Vriska’s chest, her eye’s becoming wide in surprise and shock. Dave could even feel his own eyebrows rising in surprise at Roxy’s bluntness. “Bring it.” Roxy sneered at Vriska, clearly ready to beat a bitch. 

After the brief moment of shock Vriska stood tall and let out a howl of rage. She brought her arm down, swinging with her talons outstretched, wanting blood. More specifically, Roxy’s blood. However, much to Vriska’s disappointment, Roxy Jumped back, pulling Tavros back with her so he wouldn’t be caught up in the bitches grasp. Except she didn’t pull Dirk away too. Talons meet arcane steel as Dirk blocked the blow with his Katana, doing his best not to look too phased by the blow. While most people would think that blow didn’t affect Dirk too much, Dave could clearly see that it had. Dirk’s jaw was clenched tightly and his knuckles were white while grasping the hilt of the sword. Dave, after drawing his own Katana from its sheath, acted quickly when he saw Vriska swinging her other claw ridden hand towards Dirk. Dave sprinted over and went back to back with Dirk, each holding off one of Vriska’s clawed attacks. “Hey bro,” Dave greeted nonchalantly as he pushed Vriska’s claws back and away from him. “Yo lil’ dude.” Was what Dirk responded as he slashed up Vriska’s arm when she tried to attack him again. She was attacking the two over and over, trying to get a hit in, only for her attempts to fail and end with her arms becoming covered in gashes. Roxy had begun firing at the spider bitch, hitting a few of her legs to try and get her off balance. This didn’t work though, and only made the spider women hiss in pain and anger as her attacks came harder and faster. Jake had run underneath Vriska, through her legs, when there was a pause between her and the brother’s swings and Roxy’s fire. As he ran underneath her he shot up at her exposed spider thorax and underbelly while getting covered in vile and blue insect blood. Dave, while still blocking Vriska’s powerful swings, cringed slightly at the sight because, gross, that’s just nasty bro, being covered in blue goop and shit like that. Dave scrunched up his nose when he smelt it too, and decided that, yes, that’s some nasty shit. 

Jake’s attacks had done some damage as Dave could see a few bullets fly out Vriska’s spider’s body into the air. When Jake reached the other side he continued shooting at her, his mouth pressed into a thin line of determination, though with her back made of hard insectoid plates, he wasn’t doing much damage. Jade ran over beside Roxy and used her powers to pick up several large bolder unsteadily, tossing them towards Vriska, who dodged them with ease while fending off the Strider’s attacks. Eventually this caused Jade to overexert her powers, which meant she was now totally defenceless and weak. After Jade had retreated and Vriska no longer needed to worry about being crushed by giant boulders she turned her attention away from the Striders since they had kept blocking her attacks, while slashing her arms, and set her sights on the cowering Tavros who had conjured up a lance for his protection. Vriska’s angry expression turned into a sinister one as she charged at Tavros, kicking her legs out behind her. “Oh shit-,” was all Dave could say before her outstretched leg collided with him and Dirk, sending a wave of pain to ripple through his body as he was launched across the tunnel, hitting the opposing wall with so much momentum his vision had blacked out momentarily from the impact. He did his best to prop himself up against the wall of the cave while his vision was nearly non-existent, a few distant shouts echoing in his drumming ears. When he shook his head to try and regain his vision and hearing (Bad idea Strider, thought Dave as he found he had a pounding headache afterwards), he looked over to his brother, who was passed out a few metres from him, on his stomach, his skull obviously cracked due to the amount of blood pooling under his head. Dave could also see red pouring through the back of Dirk’s dark grey shirt. “Fuck, bro…” Dave said as he reached over and tried to move closer to Dirk only to find that it hurt like a fucker. Dave, after stopping his moment and letting out a pained grunt, peered down at the shirt John had lent him, which, at one point, was a nice white colour. Now that very shirt was stained a deep crimson, and, after Dave had lifted his shirt, found out why. He had a large gash from the impact, and he could swear he could see his (very) broken rib nearly breaking the skin on his chest. Dave cursed as he looked back to his bro, trying his best to ignore his own pain, only to find that English had run from across the long tunnel to Dirks aid, sitting him upright and assessing his wounds. 

Dave, seeing as how his bro was getting help, turned his attention back to the fight, which wasn’t going to well by the looks of it. From what he could see Jane was hiding behind a rock with the weal Jade, out of sight from the spider bitch, but also unarmed, each of their expressions showing how fucking scared they were. Dave peered over to where he had last saw Roxy, only to see her a few feet away from her original spot, gun-less and leaning against the tunnel wall, bloody and barely standing, her expression pained and pissed the total fuck off. He could even see the spot where Roxy had slammed into the wall as there was some blood painting the rocks. Dave looked towards the bitch who had done that to Roxy and saw that she was holding up the beaten Tavros with her bloody hand by his only good wing, his lance on the floor and a grin on her face that Dave just wanted to punch off. Tavros had a black eye, his shirt and pants were ripped with large gashes, scratches and bruises lining his arms while dents covered his metallic legs. She sneered at Tavros as he tried weakly to kick at her, his face pure of horror and misery. “I thought you l8arned your lesson last t8me Tavros…,” She cooed at him as she took her free hand and ran her talon on her pointer finger over his untouched wing, “I thought you w8uld h8ve grown strong8r, not weaker!” Her sneer was fading into a disgusted face, “You’re so w8ak it’s pathetic! At least l8st time you were able to g8t a good hit on me b8fore I ripped out your st8pid wing when you tried to get away, but this time you’re just a t8tal mess! Even those ‘adv8nced’ robot legs you h8ve are a piece of sh8t! And the id8ots you 8rought with you this time aren’t much diff8rent!” Dave felt an unbelievable anger seething inside him as he remembered how it felt to have his wing taken off carefully by people he trusted because it was beyond repair, but Vriska had just admitted to RIPPING away Tavros’ fully FUNCTIONING wing while they were fighting, and Dave knew damn well that Tavros didn’t trust this bitch. Dave looked quickly around quickly for John, remembering he’s the only one he hasn’t seen yet, only to see no sign of John, causing Dave’s stomach to turn uneasily, not knowing what that bitch could have done to John.

Dave looked back towards Vriska and Tavros just as Vriska took her free hand and clamped it around Tavros’ neck, his efforts of kicking and punching at her stopped abruptly as he clawed at her hand, gasping for air. Her sinister grin was back once again, “I th8nk 8t’s time I ret8ach you that lesson see8ng as how you d8dn’t learn last t8me!!!!!!!!” She began pulling at Tavro’s wing, a small, shriveled cry escaping his throat as the wing began to stretch. Dave closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen. He began to imagine just how much it must hurt for Tavros, and he himself began cringing as he felt that imaginary pain claw at his own wing which wasn’t even in a physical form at the moment. 

“HEY BLUE WEIRD, UH, BUG BITCH!” 

Dave’s eyes snapped open, his head whipping to the side (much to his pounding head’s displeasure) and his red eyes looking towards the way they had all come, towards the voice he’s become acquainted with over the past few days. Vriska stopped her pulling and stretching of Tavros’ wing when that voice rang through the Tunnel. Roxy, who was nearly unconscious, did her best to look over at the origin of the sound, Jade and Jane each looking surprised as well, while Jake was not paying attention as he tried to stop Dirk’s bleeding (God damn it, thought Dave, that’s a lot of blood). Tavros weakly turned his head to the side while Vriska snapped her head towards the voice, the voice of one amazing, fearless John Egbert. Well not exactly fearless as Dave could clearly see John shaking from his position at least 100 metres from them. “IF YOU P-PUT TAVROS DOWN RIGHT N-NOW MAYBE I’LL THINK OF GOING EASY ON Y-YOU!” John said with a slight waver of his voice, his hands coming up, balled into fists, trying to make himself look menacing even with all he shaking and fear in his bright, blue eyes. Dave had to give John credit considering this must be the scariest fucking experience the guy’s ever had, probably ahead of that Orc incident. John’s definitely going to have arachnophobia after this, thought Dave as Vriska dropped Tavros onto the ground with a wide, predatory smirk on her lips. Tavros gasped for breath and rubbed at his sore throat after being released from the bitch’s death grip. She turned to face John head on, her arms crossing as she spoke cockily, “Oh, give m8 a 8reak! What the h8ll could a little twerp l8ke you do to me?” A whole fucking lot that’s what. 

John’s shaking stopped as his eyes began to glow a faint, light blue, his hands opening up with the palms towards Vriska, a small smirk gracing his lips as he spoke, “Why don’t I show you?” 

A slight breeze began to flow down the tunnel, which caused Vriska to roll her eyes, “Seriously? Th8t’s it?” If she was smarter she’d realize they were a few kilometres into the tunnel, meaning that that breeze was nothing compared to the shit storm that was most likely making its way down the tunnel. Vriska’s unimpressed expression slowly began to turn to surprise as a loud thundering noise became to echo down the tunnel, John’s smirk turning into a grin as the glow in his eye’s increased tenfold. Suddenly a large gust of wind ripped through the tunnel, one more powerful than the one he conjured up to toss the Orc into the air, with the full force of the wind hitting Vriska head on. She was launched into the air, surprise written all over her face (and boy, was that fantastic to see). She was hurled down the tunnel into a large boulder, blood painting it as she slammed into it, sliding down the rock face onto her side, shaking. The wind died down to nothing as John’s eye’s stopped glowing and his proud grin flattering as he collapsed, exhausted, onto his knees. But even with John giving it his all, that bitch wasn’t done yet.

Vriska slowly stood up on shaking legs, her body swaying from side to side as she pushed her matted, bloody hair from her face to reveal the murderous expression she wore. Just that look alone was enough to get Dave standing, his head pounding and more blood soaking his shirt as he could feel the broken rib break through the skin. He used all his will power to limp over to John and collapse beside him, because there was no way in hell he was going to let him just sit there by himself, exposed and wide open for an attack. John had looked over at Dave with an expression that made Dave’s heart sink from how scared it looked. He helped Dave sit up next to him (with great difficulty as Dave cringed in pain at every movement with every antagonizing breath he took) before they looked back down at Vriska. She stood tall now, no way to tell she had just been hurled against a giant boulder other than the blood dripping from her mouth and head down onto her gold, webbed shirt. She charged at the two boys, shrieking, “Y8U L8TTL8 8AST8RD ILL K8LL Y8U FOR TH8S!!!!!!!!” John turned pale and shut his eyes as tight as possible. Dave thought the least he could do for John was protect him, so even though it felt like he was being stabbed and ripped apart due to his injuries, Dave transformed into his full form, tearing away the ripped shirt from his wing while he curled it around himself and John. He closed his eyes and tensed up, waiting for an impact that never came. 

“WH8T THE FUCK 8RE YOU DO8NG ARANEA???” Was the shout from Vriska which prompted Dave and John to open their eyes, Dave lowering his wing so they could see what the hell just happened. Standing right in front of the two boys was a slightly larger arachni who looked a lot like Vriska, only her hair was shorter and her torso was covered with blue webbing with a black silk belt, and she was wearing white rimmed glasses. The spider half of her body was the same colour as Vriska’s, only difference being the more lighter shade of indigo speckling it in dots. “What I’m do8ng dear s8ster is stopp8ng you from c8using another war betw8en us and the fae! Mother would not be pl8ased with your actions!” the older arachni said as she had her arms spread apart defensibly, blocking any root the pissed Vriska may take to the two boys. “These p8ople had come w8th one of the fairy’s pr8nces, and you know 8s well as m8 that our Mother and th8ir king are tog8th8r… in a sense… and th8t we are to w8lcome them!” The older one said sternly. Vriska scowled, “I was protecting our terr8tory Aranea! Mother would most definit8ly approve of 8t!” Before the older arachni, who Dave presumed was Aranea, could retort, Rufioh, Rose (who had stayed behind to help Roxy’s mother), The Summoner and a small group of fairies (which included Roxy’s mom) flew down the tunnel. “hey dawgs! Sorry we’re late yo, d1dn’t mean to-,” Rufioh’s greeting died in his throat when he came across the bloody scene. Aranea turned around and gave Rufioh a sad smile, “Hello Rufioh, I’m s8rry this is h8w we’re me8ting again.” Rufioh gave Aranea a ghost of a smile, “yeah doll, last time 1 saw ya 1t was after tavros lost h1s w1ng.” Rufioh looked over at Tavros, who was slowly starting to sit up from the ground, and he began to fly past Aranea and Vriska, “speak1ng of Tavros.” While Rufioh went over to help his hurt brother, Dave looked back at Roxy, who was still propping herself up against the wall of the cave, and then to Roxy’s mom, who looked surprisingly calm. Roxy looked up at her mother, both of them making eye contact before Roxy’s mom turned away, her sights set on Vriska. “I am sorry your highness,” Roxy’s mom said in a smooth voice as she began to slowly fly forward towards the two arachni, “But I will not let this child’s actions go unpunished.” Aranea obviously had it in her right mind to get the fuck out of there, gently picking up John and Dave and setting them on her flat spider back as she moved away from the approaching fairy. Vriska seemed hesitant to speak, but she ended up saying with her usual cockiness, “H8y, old wom8n, I’m not a fuck8ng child.” Roxy’s mom stopped a few metres away from Vriska, her hands clasped together in front of her a calm manner. “Oh, you’re absolutely right dear,” Roxy’s mom said, her warm eye’s soon turning bitter and cold as she looked Vriska in the eyes, “however in a second you’ll be fucking crying like one.” By the sounds of it, Roxy’s mom didn’t swear a lot, but when she did, it probably meant shit’s going to go down.

And boy did it.

Roxy’s mother’s eyes, hair, and golden thread on her dress began to glow brightly as the rest of her turned to darkness. Before Vriska could register what was happening the fairy shot forward towards Vriska’s left side, a steam of darkness behind her. Dave saw an arm fly across the room, dripping indigo blood, unable to see any other carnage as Vriska’s upper half was engulfed in darkness from Roxy’s mother, Vriska’s screams echoing down the tunnel. Aranea merely looked away from the sight, not bothering to help her sister. Dave looked over at Roxy, shock was written over her features as her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. The Summoner mirrored the same expression, letting Dave know that this wasn’t a common occurrence. Suddenly the darkness subsided, the cloud of blackness around Vriska disappearing with Roxy’s mother flying away from the bloody mess, still in this state of darkness. Vriska was missing her left eye, the one with the many pupils in it, as well as her left arm (which was flung to fuck knows where), leaving her shoulder bone exposed with ragged flesh hanging loosely around it (which proved to Dave it wasn’t a clean slice, but a rough, painful tearing away), and her expression and cries were of pure horror and pain. Roxy’s mother began to stop glowing as she approached the King, the darkness around her disappearing into mist. “Once again,” She said to the king, “My apologies.” She then flew down to Roxy, helping her up and over to Jane, probably knowing with her seer shit that Jane can heal people. Aranea picked up on that as well and brought Dave and John over to Jane, setting them down carefully as to not hurt Dave more. “Thank you…” John said with a weak smile to Aranea, who gave him a warm smile in return. Jake came running over with Dirk in his arms, bridal style, before setting him down next to Jane as well. Dave grimaced at how bad his bro look (although he didn’t have a fucking rib sticking out of his chest like I do, Dave recalled as pain shot through him when he tried to sit up). Jade ran over and hugged Jake, crying into his shirt while Jake returned the hug. The Summoner nodded to a few fairies to his left, sending them down to help the others. Vriska was still crying on the ground, bleeding quite a bit, but when a few fairies tried to fly over to help her a voice called out from down the tunnel, “No n88d to help her, she w8ll h8al on her own. Aft8r all, she d8serv8d such punishm8nt.”

As Jane was pushing Dave’s rib back in place (Which hurt like a bitch) while using her magic to close to wound and mold the bone back together (which also, hurt like a bitch), he looked over to see another arachni, who was about twice the size of Vriska. Her hair was long and spiky, her torso covered by a black plated garment with blue lines circling its curves, her left eye blood red from blindness like Terezi’s. She looked much like Vriska and Aranea, only she wore a white, webbed crown upon her head. The Summoner’s sullen face lite up upon seeing her. “Ah, Mindfang, It’s a pleasure to see you once again, even if the circumstances aren’t the best.” The Summoner said as he flew over to the Queen arachni, taking her hand and setting a light kiss to it. Tavros made a face when his father kissed her hand (and Dave thought he could see Vriska gag a bit). The queen, Mindfang, smiled a warm smile as she kissed his forehead, “It’s n8ce se8ing you too, my love.” The King took her hand in his as he stood straight and tall, “My lovely queen, there is an urgent matter which me and my campions must discuss with you in private.” The queen nodded, looking to the newly healed group of adventurers, “If th8re is a probl8m big enough to w8rrant you 8ll to risk your l8fe ventur8ng into this tunnel, then 8t is worthy of our time.” Dave looked over to his brother, wondering if he should speak for his kingdom if Dirk was still out cold. However Dirk was propped up on his elbows, Jake hovering next to him, both watching the exchange between the Summoner and Mindfang like everyone else. Bro tried to stand, nearly falling over onto Jake as he tried to regain his balance. Once he did, Dirk changed into his full form, his tattoo’s glowing and changing into his wings and tail. Dave took this as his cue, standing and changing into his true form as well, the two brothers bowing before Mindfang and the Summoner. “I am Dirk Strider, prince to the half-blood dragons and the heir to the throne of Derse. This is my Brother and fellow prince, head knight in training, Dave Strider. These humans are gifted with magic and have accompanied us on our Journey here.” MindFang nodded towards Dirk, her smile flattering as she spoke, “It is a pl8asure, Sir Strider, however you m8y forget the formalities, as us n8bility are on the s8me level.” The queen looked over to Aranea, motioning to Vriska, who had since stopped crying and just looked distraught, “Take your s8ster back to the hive, 8 will call you tw8 if 8 see 8t fit.” Aranea smiled a small smile as she walked carefully over to her sister, hooking her arm under her sister’s remaining arm before pulling most of her onto her back. Aranea gave one glance back to the group of adventurers, mouthing the word ‘sorry’ before continuing to carry her bleeding and broken sister back to wherever the fuck their Hive is. 

Dave stood up to stretch, glad that he no longer had a bone popping out of his chest, no matter how badass it might have been. John was still a bit tired from the over use of his powers, but that didn’t stop him from standing too and grinning like an idiot at Dave. “It’s a good thing I blew her away when I did. That was pretty cool, right Dave?” John asked, obviously wanting some recognition. But Dave decided to bug the guy before he let slip that it was pretty awesome. “Eh,” Dave said with measly shoulder shrug. John’s grin only grew as he playfully pushed Dave’s shoulder, muttering, “Asshole.” Dave smirked, “Sir asshole to you Egbaby.” John snorted a few times before he peered over at Jane as she was trying to get up, but having some difficulty. She had healed most of their group, and she seemed rather pale and tired. Roxy, who was the last one healed by her, tried to help her to her feet. John turned to Dave and mouthed, “Sorry Dave” before he scurried off to his sister’s side. Dave looked away from the raven haired boy back to Tavros and Rufioh, both who were standing with the other fairies who accompanied the king here. Tavros was all healed, though his legs were pretty banged up, and when he went to walk, it creaked and made an unpleasant noise, everyone who was near them squinting their eye’s and cringing away from that awful sound. Tavros hung his head, apologizing for his creaky legs. Rufioh just grinned and patted his brother on the back, probably trying to raise his confidence again. Dave then looked over to his brother, who was, of course, with that English kid. Jake was babbling away about god knows what, Dirk nodding his head and shrugging his shoulder every once in a while as he stared at Jake. Dave knew his brother was probably tuning the thing out other than a few important Timbits, most likely just staring at Jake’s eyes and grin. Dave thought Jake’s eyes were a nice shade, however he felt that John’s elegant sky blue eyes outmatched Jake’s energetic emerald ones. As Dave was getting caught up in looking at his brother and Jake converse (or rather, Jake ranting and Dirk just speaking for short intervals), he felt a tap on his shoulder, which, since he didn’t hear anyone coming up to him, spooked him. He whipped around, muscles tense and eyes wide, feathers on his wing and tail puffed out in a ‘menacing’ manner (to be honest, Dave thought it was the total opposite of menacing and was just plain stupid, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it even if he wanted to, stupid instinct). And of course, Rose let out a slight chuckle at how Dave looked, his cheeks soon heating up with embarrassment as he pulled his wings close to his body, especially his full one which was far more puffy and fluffy at this point than his half of one. 

Rose tsked, “My, my Strider, you shouldn’t be so self-conscious.” “Easy for you to say when you’re not the one being laughed at.” Rose smirked, “I was merely showing my content at your obviously surprised demeanor, nothing more. And besides, I did not come here simply to bicker with you about your obvious self-consciousness of your primal instincts. I wanted to discuss what we had just witnessed pertaining to the Fairy Mrs. Lalonde.” Dave raised an eyebrow as he glanced to Roxy’s mom, who was standing slightly behind the King as he continued to talk to the archni queen, “Yeah… what ‘bout it?” Rose looked towards her as well, “That is an ability anyone with a connection to magic has, though it is usually stronger with people wielding light as their aspect.” Dave crossed his arms, turning back to Rose, “And how would you know this Mrs. ‘I-apparently-know-all-of-Dave’s-problems –and-shit-about-magic’?” Rose whacked him upside the head (bitch), an unimpressed look on her face, “First off, I do not know all your problems Strider, though I wouldn’t mind nit-picking them out if you wish-,” “Uh, yeah, no thanks,” “- and secondly, I learned this from the very woman we had just witness using it.” Rose turned to look at Roxy’s mom, “When she had asked me to stay behind, I was quiet confused, but she had told me that a fight would occur and that I would not be participating in it for things to go accordingly on a fortunate path. When I tried to protest, she looked me in the eyes, and somehow she was able to send me visions of this fight, and how you all managed to survive, as well as visions of if I were to accompany you all to this fight. The vision had showed several of our party members dying, me included. That had stopped my protests, though I still felt very conflicted on the matter. However, in the vision of where I accompanied you, I had turned into darkness after…,” Rose paused, looking towards John, the only acknowledgment Dave needed to know that something bad happened, “after one of my friends died (Yep, definitely bad), and this made me question Roxy’s mother about what I had seen. She explained to me that anyone possessing any form of magic had the ability to, and I quote, ‘Call upon darkness to their aid when the light had lead them astray’. I thought of it as an interesting metaphor, but I understood it better when she told me that anyone with a light aspect is more prone to this happening to them, as they are often lead to ‘good’ fortune by ‘light’, but if lead astray, like the quote said, we usually call upon darker forces to help us. It’s a defense mechanism we seem to have, trying to know both sides of the coin so we may know what we may gain and loss from our actions.” Dave looked at Rose for a second, then Roxy’s mom, “Sooooo… You can do whatever the fuck she did?” Rose sighed exasperated, “If that is all you had gotten from my in depth explanation, then I suppose it is pointless of me to explain it all over again if it will fall on deaf ears. Yes David, I wield the same powers as Roxy’s mother, including ‘whatever the fuck she did’.” Dave looked at Rose wide eyed, “Remind me not to get on your bad side.” Rose smirked at that comment, “Why David, I thought you would have learned that when I hit you on the head with my beloved grimoire.” Dave grinned and shrugged his shoulders, “What can I say, I’m a slow learner.” “Clearly.” 

The Summoner cleared his throat after some time, “The Lovely Queen Mindfang wants to head back to her Hive to discuss the urgent matter at hand. I ask the only my sons, the Dersian Princes and their company, as well as my seer and her daughter to come with us. The rest of you can head back to the castle and just chill.” The other fairies seem completely fine with leaving this death trap of a tunnel, quickly bowing their heads and flying quickly towards its exit. The Summoner landed on Mindfang’s flat, spider body’s back, wrapping his arms around her waist and rest his head on her shoulder. She had smiled and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before she turned around and began to walk deeper into the tunnel, Roxy’s mother following slightly behind them. John ran up beside Dave, done helping his sister steady herself, “Well I guess that’s our cue to get going!” John grabbed Dave’s wrist and began pulling him down the stretch of tunnel, Jake and Dirk a few metres ahead of them, side by side with the Summoner and Mindfang. Rose stayed behind John and Dave, staying back with Jade, Jane and Roxy. 

Mindfang led them through the tunnel, pushing aside webs which covered the path so the others could get through. Dave looked around the tunnel as they got deeper into it, noticing some other arachni crawling out from cracks, some as small as a human child and others nearly as big as Mindfang. As they reached a large opening in the tunnel, Mindfang lead them through a large crack in the rock. It was dark, but Dave could easily see because of his dragon eyes, but John couldn’t, and so he grabbed a hold of Dave’s hand, letting Dave lead the way. Dave could see a slight, pink glow on the surrounding cave walls, and decided that Roxy probably made some light with her magic. After they emerged from the smaller tunnel they came into a wide open area, a giant spider, which Dave swore was the size of the fucking mountain, was laying behind the stalagmite and stalactite, spider silk throne, many stings of web that lead to who know where were tied off around it’s rocky frame. The room was covered in white web and large egg sacs that looked like they were being used as rooms. The Summoner let go of Mindfang as she approached her throne, sliding off her back to let her sit down. Once she was seated the Summoner spoke up, “The princes of Derse and their companions seek your aid, as well as mine.” Mindfang looked out towards the group of teens, “Why would y8u need my h8lp if you have your own 8rmy at your d8sposal to d8al with whatever probl8m you are h8ving, Prince Strider?” Dirk walked forward, “The reason why we’re here in the first place is because Lord English has broken free of his prison-,” Mindfang visibly tense, her eye’s blown wide with shock and worry, “-and he’s wreaking havoc on the mortal world already as we speak, seeking to draw from the negative emotions of the mortals so he can grow strong enough to destroy this world. We’re looking for help to stop the ass hole.” Mindfang said grimly, “8nd how d8 you expect us to h8lp you stop h8m?”

Dirk sighed, “To be honest, we’re doing our best. We have a plan. We’re going to go to the most magical and spiritual places in the surrounding kingdom in hopes to find Caliope, as you must know Lord English hadn’t destroyed her fully. We hope maybe she could show us how to stop him, or even help us in battle. However, we don’t know where any magical places are in the world, so that’s where you come in.” The queen quirked her brow, “Oh, so 8f I am to gu8ss why your h8re it is to us8 our well of light?” Dirk nodded, “At this point it’s our only shot at finding her.” Mindfang sighed, looking away to contemplate the proposal. John leaned over to Dave, whispering in a hushed tone, “What will we do if she says no Dave?” Dave whispered back, “I’d have to say we’d have a harder time finding Cali and we’d probably die before we find her.” John frowned, “Wow, such the optimist.” “I do try.”

Mindfang looked back towards everyone after a few moments. She nodded, “Follow me.” She rose from her throne, leading everyone around to the back of the cave, behind their Grub mother (which was the big ass spider), to a small, clear pond which had some golden specks floating through it. The queen stopped before it, turning to the group while holding up 1 finger. “Only on8 of you may s8p from th8 well. Who8ver drinks from the p8nd w8ll experience the future f8rst hand, well the rest of us w8ll see it within the w8ter, so there is no n8ed to have more than one dr8nk from it. How8ver I will warn you all, th8 well does not sh8w the futur8 in order, which means you can n8v8r know what 8vent is to occur when.” Dirk was stepping forward when Rose grabbed his arm, catching him off guard, “What?” he asked as he turned to face her. Rose’s eyes were glowing a faint violet colour, her voice a bit distant as she said, “English.” Well shit, thought Dave, did Lord English do some more damage? Dirk quirked his brow at her, before Mindfang asked curiously, “Engl8sh…?” Rose turned her head slightly towards Mindfang, saying with her distant voice, “Jake English, the page of Hope.” Oh shit, never mind, looks like Jake’s Jake stepped forward, looking at Rose and Dirk wide eyed, “Me?!” The queen and the Summoner each looked to each other confusedly before Roxy’s mother tapped the King on the shoulder, whispering a quick explanation of some sort in his ear. The king’s confused expression turned to one of understanding, and before Mindfang could ask any questions, the Summoner kissed her cheek, saying, “His powers are not ready Mindfang. We should trust the young seer’s judgement as my own backs her up.” Mindfang was obviously conflicted with this new information, but she soon relented, looking at Jake. “Step forward, Jake English.” 

After those words left Mindfangs mouth, Rose’s freaky seer shit stopped, her eyes turning back to normal as she let go of Dirk arm. Jake looked worriedly at Dirk and the others, obviously unsure if he should step forward. Rose smiled at him and nodded while Dirk rolled his eyes and pushed Jake forward, “Come on English, it won’t be that bad.” With this new encouragement and (literal) push, Jake walked up to Mindfang and the pool, the others gathering around its sides to see the visions which will appear. Jake bent over the edge of the pool, hesitantly dipping his hand in and bring a handful of water with golden specks up to his mouth. As he sipped the water, he looked at his family and Dirk worried, however, after a few seconds, Jake relaxed, looking up at Roxy’s mother, about to ask a question when he suddenly tensed up, his Emerald eyes being engulfed by white light. Dave looked away from Jake, into the pool, where the small specks of gold began to swirl around, creating images and moving figures. The gold specks closer to the center were vibrant colours, while the ones at the edges where gold, each fading into one another. Dave could see in quick flashes his brother, who was laying underneath a large oak tree, laughing and smiling at the group (or Jake since this is through his eyes). Jake grinned into the distance, probably re-enacting how he would during this time. The images then quickly changed to show ancient ruins, never settling on just one. Dave could see twisted trees behind on of the darker looking ruins, and a vast ocean of clouds behind another which looked to be atop a mountain, though with how fast the images were changing, he couldn’t be sure. The awestruck look on Jakes face as he reached out to touch the clouds (just like his future self had did) was priceless. But the last group of visons had caught everyone off guard. 

The specks around the outer rim of the images turned black, the bright, vibrant happy colours which coloured the images before were wiped away to make way for darker colours and crimson. So, so much crimson blood. The first of the images flashed before them, one of a large, hulking creature, a sinisterly evil grin on its deep green skulled face as it was holding Jake up by the throat, the real Jake coughing and clawing at his throat desperate for air. The next images which flashed by were of monstrous, sharped tooth grins, red eyes, and grey skin covered in blood, with all of the cruel creatures crowding the vision of Jake in the future, beating him with odd weapons and outnumbering him. At this point Jake was screaming bloody murder, shouting and calling Dirks name over and over, with him lashing out, fighting like the Jake in the visions. At this point he was barely staying out of the water and barely missing anyone, as he nearly nailed Jade in the jaw when she tried to calm him down. This made Dave freak out because, holy shit, this is the definite future, and Jake’s calling Dirk’s name like he’s being murdered before his eyes. The next vision flashed to a point where Jake saw Dirk get over powered by the monstrous group of people, Jake being held back by three sharp knives pointed to his throat and chest, with him obviously struggling as he reaching his hand forward desperately towards Dirk. But before Dave, or anyone else, could see what happened to Dirk (like if he really was being murdered in front of Jake’s eyes), Jake’s screaming stopped abruptly as a bright flash from the water lite up the surrounding area. Dave and everyone else covered their eyes and/or looked away from the blinding light. When the light resided, and it was safe to look over again, the golden specks in the water were scattered about like they were before with Jake’s glowing eyes began to fade quickly, the tears that were streaming down Jake’s cheeks becoming not as abundant. Dirk seemed to pick up on how worn Jake was from that experience as he quickly went beside Jake and caught him just as the boy collapsed, nearly falling into the well. 

Dirk held Jake, wiping away the tears from Jake’s face, with Roxy’s mother by his side. She was checking Jake’s eyes and pulse for any signs that he might still be seeing visions, worried that if he was he might lash out again. Dave was shaking, because fuck, he wasn’t sure if he had just saw the last few moments of Bro’s life. Dirk was the only blood relative he had left, with his parents dead, and he couldn’t think about how he would live without Dirk in general, because he was practically raised by him. Watching those visions probably were equivalent John to watching his father die, or Roxy watching her mother die. John placed a hand on Dave’s shoulder, but when he felt the shaking he removed his hand and tried a different method of hugging Dave while patting his back. 

“Hey, Dave, it’s going to be ok… Just… Just try not to think about it.” John said as best he could, his own voice wavering from worry. “John,” Dave asked in a quiet tone as he looked up at his bro, the paleness of Dirk’s skin showing how scared he was despite his calm features, “Do you… you think we just saw Dirk, my brother and only family I have left in the fucking world, die…?”

“I don’t know Dave,” John said with a sad sigh as he hugged the shaking Dave tighter, “I honestly don’t know.”


	10. Alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's POV. Some questions are answered, Dirk get's sacked and Jake's pretty much A-Okay. Also new alliances are made!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii ok I know it had been awhile since I updated, but it's the start of the new semester for me and I'm just getting oriented with my classes and new schedule. Plus it didn't help that whenever I got home I had to shovel because we were getting a lot of snow. Anyways, here's the next chapter, and like I said before I'll do my best to keep updates under a week! (Which I think I did for this one)

Holy… shit…

John was holding Dave in a tight hug, no wanting to let him go in fear that he’ll fall apart right then and there. Queen Mindfang looked at Jake before turning and tapping a string of spider silk near the pond that went up through a crack in the ceiling. It vibrated for a few brief moments before stopping abruptly, like something was on it. Seconds later a small arachni (about the size of Vriska) descended from the ceiling on said silk line, but it looked to be a very old, male arachni with wrinkles and hair falling out of his head. He looked towards the queen and bowed respectfully before she spoke. “Take the human boy who has passed out to one of the s8lk spun rooms and make sure no one d8srupts him. Make sur8 he is hydrated and not in sh8ck. Ke8p a close eye on his vitals, he’s important to our surv8val, even if it may not seem like it as he’s a hum8n.” The older arachni nodded, carefully walking past the smaller humans before he picked Jake up carefully, away from Roxy’s mother and Dirk. As Jake was being carried away towards the throne room, past the giant spider thing (Which, if John was being honest, scared the total shit out of him) Roxy’s mother looked towards The Summoner, her eye’s pleading to follow. The Summoner made eye contact with her, holding it for a few brief moments before sighing and nodding, granting her permission to follow the older arachni taking care of Jake. Roxy’s mother turned and flew as fast as she could to catch up with John’s unconscious cousin and the old Spiderman. Before Dirk could catch up the Summoner cleared his throat loudly, obviously not very pleased. John and everyone looked at the Summoner and the Queen, both of who looked very unimpressed in each of their own respects. The King looked at Dirk, saying in a stern voice, “Oh no you don’t kiddo, you got some explaining to do to Mrs. Skeret and me. The throne room, all of you,” He said as he locked eye with everyone in John’s group, “NOW!” 

With the booming yell Dave and John where up in an instant, both no longer hugging each other as they fumbled over one another to get their footing as they rushed towards the throne room past the giant, freaky spider. Rose and Jade followed close behind, and when John peered behind him as they made their way to their destination, John could see the confusion in Jade’s face and the worry in Rose’s. Dirk walked far behind the 4 younger teens, walking just in front of the scowling queen and upset King, Roxy, Rufioh and Tavros trailing behind them carefully, as if not to upset the two more than they already are. John was scared shitless at this point, because holy shit they just upset the fairy king and the queen of huge ass spider people, this CAN’T end well. John and Dave looked over to each other after they and their friends were standing in front of the Throne, Queen Mindfang seated upon it with the Summoner by her side. John looked beside the throne to see Roxy and the two princes standing there, each of them giving the group confused and apologetic looks. Dirk stepped forward, seemingly calm even after what he had just saw in the water of the magic well, how the heck can he still be so calm?!! The King peered down at prince, his expression still not the happiest. “Tell me this, Prince Dirk Strider of the Half-blood Dragons,” The King said as he stepped forward, walking towards Dirk, “You come here, seeking my peoples aid, saying that you are looking for the most magical places on the world, looking for people who may be able to stop lord English. After I offer my alliance with you, I then help you with gaining an alliance with Queen Mindfang, giving you access to the well of Light. Yet this whole time you have had the very key to Lord English’s demises with you all along, and yet you haven’t said a word to me or Mrs. Skeret!” The king was shouting at this point, his rage over flowing and seeping through his heated words, and yet, even as everyone else cringed away, Dirk stood stoic as ever, face never changing as he took in everything the king said like it was a breeze on a sunny afternoon. “You put our people at a risk of War! And I know very well that that boy, English, is not ready to fight Lord English, but even by the looks on your companion’s faces you hadn’t told any of them the truth! What good is it for you to hide this secret from them and us Sir Strider? What good does it do to keep Sir English and the rest of your group in the dark? Answer me that.” The king said, chest puffed out, anger still etched into his features. John looked towards Dave expectantly, like he know what his brother does, but Dave just returned the glance with a shrug, obviously not knowing what the hell his brother is thinking either. 

John and Dave snapped their head forward when Dirk sighed, looking away from the king and Queen, “Fine, if you all really want to know why the fuck I hadn’t told Jake what’s up, then here it is…” Dirk took a deep breath in, closing his eyes before turning and looking the king in the eye, a spark of determination inside the golden orange as he spoke, “Pure light draws it power from good things, like kindness, caring, Hope, ect, and Jake is the last person alive with that aspect! I didn’t tell him because of one reason: If I had told Jake, and if we were looking for Caliope, and, oh no, what’s this, we couldn’t find her! (Wow, thought John, holding back a laugh at Dirk’s tone, does he always get this sarcastic in crappy situations?) He’d be our last hope, but as you already fucking know, he doesn’t have his power just yet, and since he’s already so down about his powers not showing, if we ended up relying on him to save all of us, and he knew it, he could loss all hope with the blink of an eye! But without him knowing about any of this shit, if we can’t find Caliope, then there’s still hope because, as far as he knows, we’re all supposed to stop lord English, not just him, giving him some hope that he won’t be doing it alone! He would be able to rely on the fact that he has friends and family who are ‘destined’ to help him stop lord English, not just himself, alone. If he were to lose hope over his powers, the very person whose powers survive on hope, then we’re all fucking dead because the pure essence of light would cease to exist in this realm! It’s very fucking ironic if you think about, Jake losing his powers because he lost hope because of his powers, but I don’t think you all give two shits about that, just that I didn’t tell him so he wouldn’t loss hope and so we all wouldn’t be fucked over for it!!” Dirk yelled back to the King, stepping forward, their chest being a few inches apart with the king looking down at Dirk and Dirk glaring up at the King. “So there ya go,” Dirk said as he took a deep breath in and backed away from the King, “There’s why I didn’t tell him, and if you have something wrong with my reasoning, I would like to hear your argument.” The King’s eyes were trained on Dirk, his own deep orange orbs looking Dirk up and down, looking for any reason to disapprove of Dirk’s actions. Before he could respond, the queen let out a slight hum, “V8ry good Prince Str8der, you seem to h8ve saved us all alre8dy, and the fighting h8sn’t even begun!” She rose from her throne, the King and the others, including Dirk, looking at her with raised brows as she plucked another silk string which was (this time) tied to her throne, “I’m c8ll8ng my daughters here, I w8ll let them know of our alliance, Sir Strider.” She said that last part with a warm smile towards Dirk, one which was then redirected towards the confused King. The King melted under her gaze, sighing, “Very well, I will depart with Rufioh and Tavros to announce to our own people the news of Lord English’s return, the news of young heroes who come to save us,” the king said that part looking out towards the group of teens, “Our new alliance with the arachni and our alliance with your group and people, Prince Strider.” Dirk’s mouth curved into a smile, the prince nodding to the King and the two princes as they departed for the Fairy Kingdom. 

John looked towards Dave again, a grin plastered over his face. Dave glanced over at John, smirking as he said, “Well, that went better than I expected.” John nodded and chuckled lightly, “’Better that you expect’? Dave, we all could have been spider food for what your bro just did! I think you can up with something better than just better.” Dave’s smirk grew “Fine then, I think it went just fucking fabulous, like yours truly.” Dave said the last part doing a hilarious pose with his hip cocked to the side and his hand puffing up his hair like one of those famous actors John had seen during his visit to the theatre one time, causing John to laugh in response, “oh yeah, so fabulous Dave, you’re the most fabulous drama queen.” Dave bumped John shoulder with his own, “You’re also forgetting the prettiest too.” Oh my god, Dave’s such a big doofus! Before John could retort by messing up Dave’s hair, Dirk said, “Hey, would you two cut it out for a second?” John stopped laughing, his face turning red from embarrassment, while Dave’s smirk (which John could swear was close to a big grin) flattered, his face falling into a stoic expression as he turned away from John to face his brother, “Geez Bro, just trying to lighten the mood here.” Dirk scoffed, “Looks more like flirting to me (WHAT?!), but whatever.” Dirk turned back towards the queen, who had a grin on her face as she looked towards John, whose cheeks were burning, and Dave, who seemed relatively unfazed by what his brother said as he just shrugged his shoulders. “Ok, now that those two have shut the fuck up,” Said Dirk as he looked around the Throne room, towards the Giant cocoons which had huge doorways in them leading into what looked to be different types of rooms (John couldn’t see into them because of the silk handing down from the top of the doorway, and with everything white inside the rooms, it was impossible to tell what was furniture and what was cocoon), “I was wondering where the hell you brought English.” The Queen hummed as she rose from her throne, beginging to walk towards Dirk, “You will s8e h8m soon 8nough young Pr8nce,” She walked past Dirk, towards two arachnis descending from the ceiling through a giant crack, “How8ver, as of right now, we must t8ll my daught8rs, then my p8ople, of our all8ance.” 

Shit, shit, shit, shit, oh shit, it’s her. John made eye contact with the unhappy Vriska, the spider girl who tried to kill him and his friends, and, welp, he isn’t too happy seeing her either. Last he saw of her was a few hours ago as she was dragged off by her sister as a bloody mess, but now she isn’t so bloody, but just a mess. John saw where her arm was severed, the skin sewn tightly around the remaining bone, blood still dripping from in between the stiches. When John had looked her in the eyes, he meant to say he only looked into her one eye since her other eye socket (which contained not eye after what Roxy’s mom did to her) was covered by a black eye patch, little droplets of blood still streaming down her cheek. Her hair was no longer matted with dry blood, but that still didn’t help with how she looked. Aranea was beside her, looking out towards everyone, a worry expression covering her face when she looked towards Dirk, no Jake by his side. As soon as Vriska’s feet touched the ground she tried charging at John and the others. This caused a (very) embarrassing yelp to escape John’s throat as he jumped back slightly, Jade, Jane and Rose each holding up their hands in defence, while Roxy summoned her rifle and pointed it at the arachni, ready to fire. However, both Aranea and Mindfang stopped Vriska, Aranea grabbing her arm and their mother holding her back with her one hand on her daughter’s shoulder. Vriska shot daggers at her mother and Aranea, “Why w8n’t you both l8t me kill th8se worthless humans already!!!!!!!!” “Beca8se they aren’t worthl8ss.” Mindfang said, lowering her hand from her daughter’s shoulder, an interested and confused expressions creeping up on both Vriska’s and Aranea’s faces. Mindfang paused, looking away from her daughters with a contemplating expression, her voice smooth as she spoke, “You two r8m8ber the stor8es I use to t8ll you? The ones of the evil Cal8born and the good Cal8ope, and how an h8ro and his fr8ends were supposed to come and s8ve us from Cal8born?” Aranea nodded slowly, while Vriska scoffed, “Y8ah? What ab8ut th8m? Th8re just stupid grub stor8es m8ant to scar8 the crap out of th8m so th8y would behave!” Mindfang’s head snapped to the side, looking both her daughters in the eye, her expression no longer reminiscent but cold and serious, causing the cockiness to be wiped away from Vriska’s features, her grey skin paling slightly as her pupil blew wide in shock. 

“Wait, wa8t, wa8t!” Vriska said, waving her hand infront of her, obviously scared just by the pitch of her voice, “You c8n’t be s8rious! T-those w8re just stupid fucking stor8es meant to scare us as grubs!!!!!!!! Th8re’s no such th8ng as Cal8born!!!!!!!!” Her mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, “If only 8t w8re so Vriska, but s8dly, it’s not.” Before Vriska could ask anything else, Aranea stepped up beside her sister, “So if Lord 8nglish is r8al, and so 8re th8 stories, then th8se humans…?” Aranea trailed off, gesturing towards John, Jade, Rose and Jane. Mindfang nodded, but Vriska wasn’t having any of it. Vriska tried once again to swipe at John, who merely backed away a few feet, Vriska unable to get towards him fully without going through her mother. Vriska continued to swipe out towards John and his friends, Dave stepping out in front of John, kicking Vriska’s hand hard every time it came close enough to do so. John smiled at Dave, he’s so nice and considerate, John thought to himself, like he even risks his own life for others who he’s barely gotten to know! I think he would make a great head knight some day! John’s thought were cut short though when he looked back up at Mindfang, who, by the looks of it, was not dealing with Vriska’s shit. “EN8UGH!” Mindfang yelled as she pushed Vriska back, walking towards her as the other backed up towards the stone wall, “I do not c8re what resentment you hold tow8rds th8se humans! If it w8s any other situation I would 8t le8st let you g8t beat in a b8ttle against these p8ople to teach you a l8ason, one you clear have no learned yet,” Mindfang yelled at Vriska, eyeing her arm and eye, “How8ver, not m8tter what you th8nk about these humans, Lord Engl8sh thr8atens us all! Not just the hum8ns, not just the fair8es and not just us, he thr8atens every world there is!!!!!!!! I w8s there wh8n he destroyed our old world, I w8tched it burn 8nd crumble into fuck8ng nothing!” At this point tears were coming down Mindfangs face, her yells full of grief and sadness, all of which, by the shocked looks on Vriska’s and Aranea’s faces, was something that never happens, “8nd I will NOT l8t th8t h8ppen to this world, I will NOT s8e this world die at the h8nds of that bast8rd! So suck i8t up 8nd just deal w8th the fair8es and th8se humans’ long enough so th8t this world isn’t destroyed!” 

The queen’s tears had died down, her chest heaving with deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. Vriska’s eye was wide, her mouth agape, resembling the expression on her sisters face. John peered around, spotting all of the arachni hiding inside the cracks of the walls, watching the whole ordeal. Many of the older ones had their mouths pulled into tight lines, their faces full of sadness much like the queen herself, while the younger arachni were staring on in awe and confusion about what the queen meant. Mindfang looked away from Vriska, looking around the room as the elder arachni exited their hiding places, knowing it was not use hiding from her, each of them giving her a nod in acknowledgment and understanding. John thought that what was happening was very inspiring with everyone having a slight understanding of the problems the others had faced. That thought had John looking around at the arachni, noting how all the older ones, like Mindfang, looked battle worn and tired, yet they stood tall, while all of the younger spider people didn’t look like they’ve ever been in a big fight, and they didn’t hold themselves as high as the older ones. And when John looked around once more, he gulped when he saw how little older arachni there was compared to the younger ones. Oh gosh, that battle with lord English must’ve been one hell of a fight to take down some many of these guys. After she had looked to everyone, a small smile graced Mindfang’s lips as she turned back to the group with her eyes red from the tears that had left them. She nodded her head to the side, towards one of the bigger cocoons hight up on the wall, near the top of the highly elevated ceiling, a faint purple glow coming from within, “Your friend, English, is up there, being taken care of by Roxy’s mother and my healer. Aranea and Vriska may take you up.” Dirk nodded towards the queen, his mouth pulled into a thin line.

Jade ran over to Aranea first, wanting to be by her brother’s side as soon as possible. Rose looked towards John worriedly as she went over to Vriska, who looked totally shocked by her mother’s words. Thankfully, due to her shock, Vriska didn’t put up a fight, picking up Rose without a word and setting her on her back. Jane was talking with Roxy, both walking over to Aranea for a lift (expect Roxy because she can, you know, fly). Dave started to walk over to the two arachni too, but as John was about to follow, he had an odd feeling in his gut. Then it clicked, where’s Dirk? John looked over his shoulder, spotting said guy walking away from the others, towards Mindfang. John looked towards the two, then back at Aranea, Dave and the others. When he looked to Aranea she shrugged, but when he looked at Dave he gave him a thumbs up. John looked at the others, Roxy and Jane paying no attention to him, Vriska was still in a slight daze and Rose was not interested at all as she spoke with jade. With the other’s not paying any attention to him John took that as an “ok John, go see what Dirk’s doing and let us know later” and turned around and ran behind some giant rocks and webs, eagerly eaves dropping on Dirk and Mindfang’s conversation. When Mindfang saw Dirk approaching she looked down at him, her noble and superior arura back, her eye’s no longer red from tears. “Y8s Str8der?” She asked calmly and he looked up at her. He sighed, “I know how you feel.” What does that mean? John thought, and by the quirked brow on Mindfang, she’s wondering the same thing. When Dirk saw her expression he ran his hand through his hair, “Before you were really fucking upset about the whole Lord English thing, and I can sympathize with that. Before our old world was destroyed I was a few hundred years old, so I remembered everything that happened.-,” Oh gosh, Dirk’s over 100?!!! How old is Dave then?!!, “- I also saw it get destroyed, and let me tell you, I understand what you mean by how much you want to beat that bastard and save this world. My mom and dad founded Derse, and they sure as hell would want to keep it safe, so that’s why I’m trying to do. I’m trying to protect my kingdom, my brother, and these humans from Lord English, sort of like what you’re doing with your family and kingdom.” Mindfang (and John) looked (was) surprised by what Dirk said, but the Queen’s shock soon melted into a soft smile. “Th8n I suppose you 8re wiser th8n your pe8rs, Prince Str8der, as most who’ve surv8ved and w8tness that war would rather d8e th8n fight Lord Engl8sh again.” Dirk nodded, a smirk creeping up on his face as he said, “Don’t say the shit around Terezi, or she’ll have a bird about how she’s the smartest and I’m some ‘Orange idiot in puffy princey shorts’.” Even though John only knew Terezi for a few days, he did know she had… unique ways of describing things and people. Dirk imitated her perfectly. The queen laughed lightly as she turned around, walking back to her throne, “Well th8n I suppose I’d l8ke to meet th8s Ter8zi sometime.” 

“Eh, Terezi would be glad to meet The Queen, but I’m pretty sure she’d lay a beat down on Princess Spider bitch.” John jumped, his head snapping to his side to see Dave peering over the rock at his bro and Mindfang. Wow, what an ass, John thought as he relaxed and whacked Dave’s arm. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!” Dave held back a laugh as he poked John in the chest with his pointer finger, “Well you shouldn’t be eaves dropping on a heartwarming conversation bro.” John pushed Dave’s hand away and crossed his arms, glaring at the other, “You were doing it too!” Dave smirked, shrugging as he turned around and began walking back to Aranea and Vriska, “Touché.” Was all he said in response. John rolled his eyes, once again deciding that Dave is a totally annoying dork for that answer. John scurried up beside Dave, both boys reaching Aranea and Vriska the same time Dirk did. Dirk looked at the two boys, obviously not going to buy that they WEREN’T just eaves dropping, so Dave, of course, blurted out with a small smile, “Thanks bro, for giving a shit.” Dirk’s stern face lessened, a small smile on his face as he went over and messed up Dave’s hair, much to the other’s displeasure. “Didn’t I teach you some fucking manners?” Dave groaned, fixing his hair after pushing the chuckling Dirk away, “Apparently not.” When Dirk turned around, obviously rolling his eyes, Aranea held out her hand to him, which he refused, shifting into his dragon form and taking flight. John looked over at Dave, who looked at his brother, blatantly staring at him as his bro flew, which made John’s heart ache because, once again, it was his fault the Dave can’t fly. Dave looked away from his bro, taking Aranea’s hand to be hoisted onto her back. After see the Jane, Jade and Dave were on Aranea’s back, John walked over to Vriska, who merely rolled her eyes as she hoisted him up on her back, like hell he was going to tell her he can fly! He was just going to enjoy all the rest he could get at this point! Or he at least thought that until Rose tapped him on the shoulder, drawing his attention away from Dave, who had since gotten into another argument with Jade (and he was clearly losing). Rose’s black painted lips were in a smile, her vibrant violet eye’s trained on John’s breath-taking blues. 

“You know,” She began, her eye’s drifting from John’s to the cocoon Jake was in as Vriska began moving along with Aranea, “At the pool, when I got a vision, it wasn’t just about Jake.” Huh? John thought, making a face that said what he was thinking. Rose sighed when she got no response, pinching the bridge of her nose as she continued, “I only said what was needed to be said. When a seer sees a vision, time slows down for them, allowing them to take in as much information from the vision as possible. The vision I saw showed all of us. If the vision was in the near future or far, I do not know, but there was a whisper from someone, someone who sounded a lot like me, telling me what to say to you, so I went along and did as I was told. After I had uttered those words, which would not reach you all for a few minutes from my perspective, she explained to me that she was, in fact, me in the future.” Whoa, that’s really frickin awesome! But apparently John’s thoughts where not the same as Rose’s as she looked mildly frustrated. “However when I went to ask as what point in time she came from in the future, she hummed to me, saying she remembered asking that long ago, and that she wouldn’t tell me! After that she went quiet, allowing me to see the visions blocked out by her voice more clearly. These visions were from my point of view, and in them I saw the youngest 4 in our group, including me, looking ready for a fight, standing just behind the doors to a balcony. Jade was dressed in a long, black and grey mystic dress with white embroidery runes, while was Dave in his full form, wearing Prospit guard armour with a red silk cloth hanging from his waist, and you were wearing blue and gold, royal Prospit garments, which, considering how Jade was dressed in odd attire and Dave was in knights armour, was interesting.” “What?! How?!” John exclaimed very, very confused, “How on earth would I be wearing Royal clothes? First off, I’m the son of a baker, second of all, I’M MAGIC!!! Which is outlawed and punishable by death! And thirdly, royal clothing is only reserved for the king and whoever is in his family! There’s no way that the person in your vision was me!” Rose laughed lightly at John’s reaction, “Oh, but on the contrary, I am quite certain it was you. After I saw you, my visions blurred out again as my… older version’s voice returned to me head, chuckling at my racing thoughts. Knowing me, she didn’t tell me what was going on, just saying that the Heir of Breath was loved dearly.” She paused, grabbing hold of the web Vriska tossed behind her as she began to climb vertically up the wall. John did the same, not wanting to fall and go SPLAT! 

Rose cleared her throat, clinging to the web as she continued, “Now, as you know, our old king was killed, as well as all his remain heirs, and once we beat the Condescension, then there will be need for a new king….” Rose trailed off, the pieces slowly falling into place in John’s head. Holy shit. “Holy shit.” John muttered, staring off into space. John had just tuned everything out, even Rose’s soft laughs, something about how funny his face looked and blah blah blah. He was going to be king someday… and what about Jade? Rose said she was wearing a weird dress, why would she be wearing a weird dress?? And Dave! How the hell did he get a hold of Prospit armour that fit him in his full form?! And how the hell did Rose send messages to her past self?!!! “Hey Rose…,” John asked, still in a daze, “How did you send thoughts to yourself in the past?” Rose stopped laughing, looking at John with a thoughtful expression, “Hmm, that is a good question John.” As they neared the cocoon which held John’s cousin and Roxy’s mother, rose said, “It’s possible I was able to tune out my surroundings as certain times to think to myself, which would explain why everything other than my own voice became blurry. It would take a very skilled seer to do such a thing.” With that John peered over at Rose, a proud smile gracing her lips as Vriska entered the cocoon through a hole located at the top of the webbed room. 

Roxy and Dirk were already inside the cocoon, Dirk shifting back into his more manageable form. Aranea was already letting the last person off her back as Vriska touched the floor of the cocoon. The cocoon had very little furniture, with only a wooden closet, a wooden, worn barrel of water and a silk woven bed with lamb’s sheets (which was where Jake laid barely conscious, his shirt, socks and shoes no longer on his body) inside it’s spider spun walls. After Vriska helped John and Dave down off her back, everyone said their farewells to the two Arachni sisters (John’s consisted of a hand shake with Aranea and a quiet mumble of a good bye to the glaring Vriska) with the two soon exiting the cocoon, back into the cave. Dirk and Jade were by Jake’s side instantly, one on either side of the bed. Roxy’s mother was ringing out a piece of green clothing (which John assumed was Jake’s jacket that she was probably using as a rag) before she pushed past Dirk and slung it over Jake’s forehead. John felt his heart sink when he saw how pale Jake was, his eye lids fluttering, trying to wake up. A loud grunt sounded from the far corner of the cocoon, drawing everyone’s (but Roxy’s moms) attention. The older spider guy who had brought Jake here had his arms folded over his chest, obviously waiting for everyone to stop fretting over Jake long enough for him to speak. “H4’ll b4 alright, I can assur4 you all that,” The older arachni said, walking over to the bed where Jake was, “H4’s a tough little bastard, I’ll giv4 him that. I us4d my strong4st sl44ping sp4ll on him y4t h4’s still fighting to b4 wak4.” Jade looked over at the arachni, her ear flattened against her head as she growled, “Why do you have a sleeping spell on him?! He’s trying to wake up!! Look at how much he’s struggling to wake up!!!” Jade said the last part pointing at her brother, his head thrashing side to side, murmuring incoherent words as he squinted his eyes before they began to flutter open, only to be shut tight once again. “It’s because we are worried he still thinks he’s in the vision,” Roxy’s mom spoke as she took the cloth from Jake’s forehead to ring it out, “We need help restraining him if he’s going to wake up so that he doesn’t harm anyone he perceives as a threat.” Roxy’s mother peered over the old arachni, who rolled his eyes. Dirk looked over at John and Dave, pointing to the two each before pointing to the barely unconscious Joke, “You two, get your asses over here and grab an arm or leg.” Dave nodded and went straight over, grabbing one of Jake’s arms, while John was a little more hesitant, knowing just how strong Jake was. When john got to Jake he grab his other arm while Dirk went to Jake’s feet, grabbing hold of both even though Jade wanted to help. Rosy’s mother went to the far end of the room, beckoning Jade, Jane and Roxy over in case something happened, while the older arachni stood a bit behind Dirk, arms still crossed. “Ar4 you all r4ady?” He asked, raising his hands to his chest height. “I am.” Dirk said, posing himself so he had one leg held securely under each arm. John looked over at Dave, tightening his grip on Jakes arm and Dave looked back, a smirk on his face. With a single nod to each other, both boys turned back to the arachni, saying in unison, “Ready!” 

With that word the arachni’s hands had begun to glow a deep blue as he waved them slowly back in forth, a small, lighter blue glow coming from Jake’s closed eyes. The very second the arachni stop moving his hands, the glowing stopping with it, Jake was up and kicking, literally. Jake, still freaking the fuck out, waved his arms around violently, trying to escape his captors grip. Even though John and Dave each had a secure hold on Jake’s arms, Dave hit the barrel of water hard, causing him to lose his grip, allowing Jake’s upper body to thrash about more violently, causing John to lose his grip on Jake’s arm as well, John hitting the floor with a thud. Dirk was the only one left hanging onto Jake, but that changed when one of Jake’s foots got loss and hit Dirk in the face, surprising Dirk enough for him to loss the other foot, which came crashing down into his ‘sensitive’ area. Dirk doubled over, letting out a loud, painful grunt as he fell to the floor on his knees, his teeth bared, eyes shut tight and hand’s holding the offended area (his nose also bleeding from when Jake hit him in the face). John put his hands between his own legs as well, cringing from just how painful that looked, and when he looked over at Dave, he was imitating that stance. However, when Dirk let out that grunt, Jake’s thrashing stopped rather quickly, the green eyed boy slowly sitting up on the bed, looking around to John, Dave and the girls, eyes wide. “Dirk?” Jake said, sounding so innocent, obvious to what he just did to Dave’s bro. “D-d-down… H-here…,” Dirk said through painful wheezes, holding up his one hand so Jake would see him. Jake scrambled off the bed (nearly falling over from his wobbly legs) over to Dirk. “Blimey! Strider you look bloody awful! What in blazings happened to you?!” Dirk slowly stood up, using his one hand to grab Jake’s shoulder for support while his other hand was still on his groin. He growled through his teeth, “You… kicked… my balls… so fucking hard that… I swear to god… they’re in my fucking throat…,” Jake looked at Dirk, guilt written all over his face, “Oh gosh, I did this to you?! Oh god Dirk I’m so sorry! I just remembered seeing all of these amazing places before…” Jake paused, shivering with a pained look on his face, “before I saw you get hurt and me myself getting overwhelmed! But then I blacked out and when I tried to wake and I couldn’t I suppose I began to flip my lid, so when I did wake up I suppose I took it out on you lot!” Dirk nodded, sitting down on the bed, cringing a bit at the pain, John and Dave cringing with him just thinking about it. “Hey, my bro’s had worse than this happen to him before, he’ll make it.” Dave said, moving over and patting his brother on the back. Dirk scoffed, “So glad to see… you care Dave, make’s my day just… peachy.” Dave smirked, “No problem bro, just try not to get hit in the balls again.” Dirk, while still bent over, looking at the ground, brought his arm around and jabbed Dave in the nuts, causing his brother to let out a puff of air as he doubled over. “Ok… I guess I deserved that…” Dave said, voice cracking all the way through. John fell to the floor laughing, Jake holding back a small chuckle as he patted Dirk on the back, trying to help the pained boy. Rose and Jade came over, Rose patting the hurt Dave on the head while Jade hit Jake in the arm for “scaring the crap out of me!” Roxy and Jane each joined John laughing, Roxy giggling out “you guys are tots hilarious!”

At this point the old arachni rolled his eyes, muttering “Stupid t44ns,” before he turned around, heading for the exit. Roxy’s mother stopped him by flying over and grabbing his arm, quietly saying a few words John couldn’t quiet catch over the laughter. The arachni nodded, turning back around to the group. “Ok, list4n up. Mrs. Lalond4 has ask4d m4 nic4ly if I would 4scort you all back to th4 fairy kingdom, and wh4n I do so I ask you 4ll to pl4as4 b4 qui4t!” 

After that, all the raven haired teens and Dave had hitched a ride on the older spider guys back, while the two fairies and Dirk flew alongside them. When they were going through the tunnels they heard from a few other arachni that the queen was already at the fairy kingdom with her two daughters, addressing the fairies about their alliance. The trip back was uneventful otherwise, as whenever John and Dave would start talking the older arachni threatened to drop them off right in the middle of the tunnel if they weren’t quiet. The group of teens, and Roxy’s mother, were brought to the mouth of the tunnel before they were left to their own accord. With a quick farewell to the older arachni the group dashed (or flew) to the castle, going the long way around to avoid the crowd which was cheering at its base and in the air around it. When the group reached the edge of the courtyard (with great difficulty, might John add) a loud, long cheer swept over the crowd, John spotting a glimpse of the Summoner and Mindfang, one of their hands clasped tightly in the others, pointing skywards. John could see the two princesses behind Mindfang, a scowl on Vriska’s face, while Aranea had a bright smile on hers. Rufioh and Tavros, who were also with their father, looked happy as well. After the cheering died down, and the royalty had turned and departed from the balcony, the crowd quickly dispersed, the fairies going onto their normal, daily life. As they made their way to the castle, Roxy snickered, “Damn, we fairies sure are handling this shit well considering some of us are washing clothes while some ass hole is destroying the world.” Dirk grinned, “Eh, we aren’t handling it any better. We’re supposed to be saving the world and just a while ago I was fucking kicked in the crotch by a half awake guy named Jake English.” “BLOODY HELL HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY I’M SORRY STRIDER??!” 

When they entered the castle’s main entrance Mindfang and the Summoner were there to greet them. “Ah, welcome back, I heard about what happened at the well of light.” The Summoner said, a small, sad smile on his face. Jake looked to the floor, guilt and sadness overwhelming his expression, while Dirk nodded, looking away from the King. John nodded too, feeling awful because of how hard this must be for them, and Dave too! Dave must have picked up on John’s sorrowful expression as he bumped him in the shoulder, “Hey, stop being such a daisy downer Egbert, show me that goofy buck tooth smile you always get whenever you think of something stupid.” John looked over at Dave, fake pouting, “My smile is not goofy!! And I don’t smile whenever I think of something stupid!” Dave looked at John with a face that said ‘really?’ causing John to think of how stupid Dave was for even thinking any of that, but then he felt a large smile spread across his face against his will. Dave was smiling smugly at John, causing John to retort, “Fine, if it’s any consolation I was thinking of you, so that technically makes you stupid.” Dave smirked wickedly, “Oh, you were thinking about me John? Well I hope I looked flattering in your fantasies about me.” John sputtered as he felt his face and neck burn, “W-WHAT?! N-NO!! That’s Stupid!” Dave’s smirk grew as he remarked, “We’ll you did admit you think of stupid things.” John crossed his arms and turned away from the smug asshole, actually pouting this time, “Oh. My. God. Shut the hell up!” The Summoner cleared his throat, drawing the attention of John and Dave, who had otherwise been on their own little tangent. “You all will be staying at Mrs. Lalonde’s once again, my servants will have you all packed and ready to go. I’ve also received word that your seer, Terezi Pyrope, and knight, Latula Pyrope, are also expected to be arriving here tomorrow at dawn.” Dirk nodded, smiling at the king, “Thank you for all you’ve done Summoner, and Mrs. Mindfang. We all appreciate it.” Mindfang smiled back at Dirk, “We should 8e the on8s thanking you, Prince Str8der, and your c8mpaigns for everything you 8ll are going to do.” The Summoner nodded, looking at the group as he spoke with confidence and pride leaking from his voice, “And let it be known, that when it’s time for you to face Lord English and his servants of darkness, that both of our people will rise up and help you strike them down to oblivion on your signal, not a single one spared.” Dirk’s smile grew into a full out grin as he reached out and shook the Summoner’s hand, “That’s fucking fantastic. I’ll send word when we need you guys and your people, because I know for damn sure that we can’t beat him alone.”

The group left the castle after a giant buffet with the king and queen, full of weird fruits, fine wines (upon Roxy’s request), delicious soups, cake (ewww) and lots and lots of meat. John was walking lazily alongside Dave near the back of the group, Roxy leading with a tipsy Jane by her side. “Hey Dave,” John said as he looked out over the moon lite lake as they walked on the rocks to Roxy’s, “Do you think we’ll be able to stop Lord English?” Dave was quiet for a few seconds, causing John to spin his head around to stare Dave in the eyes, bright, elegant blue meeting blood ruby red. Dave smiled sincerely at John before his arm come up and brought John into a head lock, Dave messing up John’s already uncontrollable hair. “Don’t worry Egderp,” Dave said, letting go of the laughing John as they stopped in front of Roxy’s house, “We’re going to kick Lord English’s ass.” John smiled brightly at Dave, “Yeah your right! He doesn’t stand a chance!”

“Yeah,” said Dave as he went through the stringy moss door, glancing back to lock eyes with John for only a few short seconds as he said, “cause nothing can stop two best bros when they got each other’s backs.”


	11. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake's POV. Terezi comes back and tell's everyone 'the plan'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK I know this is a short chapter, but If I'm being honest this is sort of a filler chapter to lead into the next few, which will be telling their actual adventure traveling to the different locations. If you didn't know I posted the first Chapter of my SAO AU, Katana Comic Online (KCO), so if you haven't check it out you should! I should be done the next Chap. of that FF by tonight, but if not it will definitely be posted Tomorrow! I hope you all like this chapter!

Boy was Jake hungry.

Their group had stayed the night at Roxy’s again, Jake passed out as soon as he laid down on the bed. He was still so exhausted from those ‘visions’ (if you asked him he’d say that experience was a living hell, worse than his bloody nightmares), but it was around ten o’clock if his stomach gave any clue through its loud grumbles of displeasure. However Jake was in a bit of a pickle. First being he was still dead tired, and the second being he was trapped under one sleeping strider who had spikey hair (which had since turned into spikey bedhead). Dirk had his head resting on Jake’s shoulder, his arm’s wrapped tightly around Jake’s chest. This was making Jake’s dilemma worse, because not only did Dirk look so peaceful (and cute) like a itty bitty sleeping kitty, but his arms around Jake were quiet comforting, especially since Jake had one of his nightmares again. Funny thing is, Jake will wake up screaming and crying, but not remember about what, making him seem like some lunatic! Though he did remember that Rose once explained how our minds sometimes blocks out horrific memories to coup, and that his was probably doing that with the dreams upon waking. At time he was thankful and annoyed with such brain mechanism. Jake looked down at Dirk, who was totally relaxed, causing a smile to creep up on Jake’s face. Dirk was too tense too often, Jake thought as he patted Dirk’s spikey bed head, it’s nice to see him so relaxed. However Jake’s patting caused an unusual and amusing response. Dirk snuggled closer to Jake, nuzzling into his shoulder, but what caught Jake off guard was Dirk’s slight purring. Jake held his breath, making sure he wasn’t the one making that noise, and when the purring only grew louder as Jake gently patted Dirk head, Jake was speechless. Apparently Dirk was more like an itty bitty sleeping kitty than he previously thought. 

However, much to Jake’s disappointment, the purring grew so loud that Dirk actually WOKE UP from it. Dirk was purring really loudly, Jake could feel the vibrations from Dirk’s chest on his side. Jake had decided he could go back to sleep to leave the poor guy alone, though he was still patting Dirk’s head at his eyelids became heavy. But as soon as Jake felt some shifting at his side his eye’s snapped open, looking down to the side Dirk was on only to see said boy’s eye’s slowly fluttering open as the arms around Jake loosened ever so slightly. Jake’s hand stilled on Dirk head when Dirk looked up at him, their eyes locking. Jake could see the confusion in Dirk’s golden orange eyes slowly turn to realization and embarrassment as he registered that he was purring (with said purring having gotten louder since the two locked eyes). As soon as Dirk realized that Jake felt the vibration from Dirk stop abruptly along with the constant low rumble of his purrs. Before Jake could say anything Dirk had gotten up rather quickly, going to the other side of the room, towards their supply bags, where he began pulling out some clothes (most likely so he could change out of his pajama shirt and pants and get the bloody hell out of there). Jake stood up quickly as well, knowing that he was going to try to remedy the situation.

“Dirk would you please wait a moment?” Jake said as he approached Dirk who was pulling his shirt over his head, “Dirk?” With his shirt off Dirk turned to Jake, visibly tense with his mouth pulled into a thin line and his fist bunched up in the P.J. shirt, his eyes looking over Jake’s to avoid eye contact. “Yeah English? Sup?” Dirk said monotony, which Jake absolutely hated. Jake would even prefer Dirk’s sarcastic asshole side to his monotone one because with this side Dirk doesn’t show any emotions, and Jake thought that was awful because he liked when Dirk had a smile or a smug grin, even if it was at his own expense sometimes. It made him really happy when Dirk was happy, though he couldn’t tell why or even care why at the moment as he had to correct the situation. “Now listen here Strider,” Jake said sternly, “I will not have this conversation with you unless we are facing each other, man to man.” Dirk shrugged, retorting, “I am facing you.” “No that’s not what I meant!!” “But it’s what you said.” “Oh bloody hell Strider can just look me in the eyes so we can get this over with?” Dirk eyes reluctantly drifted over to meet Jake’s, Jake now see the full embarrassment in those bright orange orbs. Jake sighed, his stern demeanor changing to become more relaxed. “Dirk,” Jake began as he placed a hand on Dirk’s shoulder and whoa was he ever tense, “I do not mind if you purr like a cat, it doesn’t bother me one bit ol’ chap!” Dirk pulled his shoulder away from Jake’s hand, looking away, “But it bothers me!” Dirk hissed out through clenched teeth, “My people are supposed to be tough and strong, and with me being their Prince and soon to be King I can’t look weak or whatever the fuck! I don’t care if it’s one of our natural instincts for when were happy and shit, it makes us look weak and right now that’s the last thing I need to look like!” 

Jake frowned, “If it’s natural, why haven’t I heard you or Dave purr before?” Dirk shook his head, sighing, “Because we both have practiced controlling it and suppressing it so that we have control over what people see in us! We never lose control of it unless were unconscious like I was a few seconds ago.” Jake crossed his arms, his frown deepening, “Well I’ll have you know Strider I find nothing wrong with you purring! Sure, it was quiet odd to hear since I’ve never heard it before, but I did enjoy it! It was relaxing to hear it.” Dirk, who had turned red from that comment, looked at Jake with an odd look. “Jake, my species doesn’t purr just when their happy, they also purr when their near their mates.” Now it was Jake’s turn to turn red. “Wait a gosh darn minute! What the bloody heck do you mean?!” Dirk’s odd looked changed, a small smile on Dirk’s lips. “I was just kidding English, geez,” Dirk said as he brought his hand up to Jake’s messy bed head, messing it up further, “You need to know when to take a joke.” Even though Dirk’s demeanor changed for the better, Jake knew that part of it was forced, but before he could question it further his stomach let out a loud rumble, obviously displeased with Jake for taking so damn long to get something to eat. Dirk’s smile grew both in size and sincerity. “Damn English, we better go get some grub, come on.” With that Dirk reached into the supply bag and tossed Jake a pair of grey shorts and a black tank top. Dirk choose some black trousers and an orange tank for himself, both boys dropping the whole purring thing, though Jake was determined to get answers later on after he had a good hearty meal in his belly. 

Dirk and Jake exited their room, and when Jake smelt the delicious smell of pancakes, he rushed upstairs, Dirk close behind him. In the main area was every, Jade, Rose, Jane, Roxy. Dave and John, along with Roxy and her mother, each person with a large stack of pancakes on their plate (except Dave, it looked like he already finished his and was trying to snag some from John, who had to keep pushing the other boy away from his pancakes). Jake sat down beside his sister while Dirk chose to stand, both boys helping themselves to the pancakes on the small coffee table in front of them. Just as Jake was about to take his first bite Roxy’s mother stood, walking over to the mossy entrance, pulling it open. Just as she did that Terezi walked in, a big grin plastered over her face. Terezi turned to Roxy’s mother, “WHY TH4NK YOU MRS. SUNSH1N3 GR4P3 S33R!” She then looked to Dirk, “1 HOP3 YOU H4V3N’T JUST B33N 34T1NG D3L1C1OUS SM3LL1NG P4NC4K3S WH1L3 M3 4ND L4TUL4 W3R3 GON3 OR4NG3 POP!” Dirk smirked, “Oh no, you caught me, I’ve been stuffing my face full of awesome food for the past 2 days.” He emphasized his statement by shoving a huge portion of the pancakes in his mouth. Jake was doing his best not to choke on his own pancakes while laughing. Terezi made a shocked face. “G4SP! HOW RUD3 OF YOU OR4NG3 STR1D3R! 4ND TO TH1NK 1 BROUGHT YOUR COMFY PR1NC3Y CLOTH3S 4LL TH3 W4Y H3R3 FOR NOTH1NG!!!”

After Dirk ate his pancakes (which was rather quickly, not a morsel left on his plate while Jake still had half of his to go) Dirk stood and walked over to Terezi, giving her a huge hug, one which she returned with a wide grin on her face. When they separated Terezi motioned to Roxy’s mother. “WH3N W3 GOT H3R3 TH1S MORN1NG MRS. SUNSH1N3 GR33T3D US 4ND F1LL3D US 1N ON 3V3RYTH1NG TH4T H4PP3N3D! YOU 4ND YOUR BROTH3R 4LW4YS S33M TO G3T 1N TROUBL3 SOM3 HOW!” Dirk laughed lightly as Terezi continued, “4NYW4YS, SH3 TOLD M3 WH4T MR. 3NGL1SH OV3R TH3R3 S4W. 1 RECOGN1Z3D 4 F3W PL4C3S SH3 D3SCR1B3D 4ND WH3N 1 LOOK3D TH3M UP 1N G14NT KING OR4NG3 SP1C3Y F41R13S L1BR4RY,” Terezi paused here, reaching into the pocket on her Teal and crimson dress, pulling out an old looking, neatly folded paper, unfolding it into a gigantic map, three places with circles drawn around them in orange, red and teal, “1 FOUND THR33 AC13NT RU1NS WH1CH W3 SHOULD CH3CK! TH3 F1RST B31NG TH3 W1ND RU1NS 4TOP NORTH3RN3RS P34K,” Terezi pointed to a long mountain range, a single mountain circled in Red, “AND TH3 RU1NS OF DOOM 1N ‘BUG 3Y3D’ SW4MP!” Terezi said the last part point to a large swamp that was circled in orange. “TH3 L4ST RU1N 1S JUST 4 GU3SS OF M1N3!” Terezi pointed off the northern coast of the continent, to the middle of the ocean, the teal circle drawn around it, “TH3 L4ST RU1N 1S LOC4T3D 1N TH3 S3A, TH3 RU1N OF L1F3. TH3 M3R-H4LF BLOODS H4D CL41M3D 1T LONG 4GO 4S TH31R OWN, SO W3 WOULD N33D TH31R PR3M1SS1ON TO US3 1T SO W3 DON’T ST4RT 4 W4R!” “I don’t think we’ll get into much trouble,” Dirk said looking at the map curiously, “besides we did have one of their ambassadors over in Derse, Feferi Pexies I think. Is she still there?” Terezi shook her head, “4PP4R3NTLY 4FT3R W3 L3FT SH3 D1D TOO 4FT3R H34L1NG SOM3 OF OUR P3OPL3, WORR13D 4BOUT HOW H3R OWN P3OPL3 F41R3D W1H TH3 QU4K3S.” Dirk nodded, “That’s understandable, she is their princess and one of the most skilled healers they have, I’m not surprised she left in a rush.” Terezi looked back to the map, “1 4LR34DY S3NT WORD TO H3R TH4T W3 M4YB3 V1S1T1NG H3R W1TH1N TH3 N3XT MONTH. H3R3’S MY PL4N…”

Terezi explained to the group that they would split up into two groups, one taking the Ruins of Breath and the other the Ruins of Doom. Both of the ruins were a long ways away from the Fairy Kingdom, but they were also the closest ruins other than the ruin of light, which Terezi said was where the well of light was located. After Jake expressed his confusion about the well of light and the ruins of light and how no one saw any trace of the ruins Terezi then asked everyone if they could explain to her how a bunch of spiders dug out the center of an entire mountain. After that everyone was quiet, Jake realzing that the tunnels must have been there before the spider people inhabited it. After she made sure everyone was quiet she then explained how the two groups would then meet up in the town of Alternia about 50 miles from both locations since it was also the closest town within equal distance from both ruins, give or take.

“Terezi you do know that the trip to both of those ruins could take DAYS, not to mention what the fuck are we looking for at them?” Dave asked through a mouthful of John’s pancakes (he had given up after Dave snagged 3 from his plate). Terezi shrugged, “1 DON’T 3X4CTLY KNOW WH4T W3’LL F1ND, BUT 1 H4V3 4 F33L1NG 1T’LL B3 1MPORT4NT! 1 M4Y B3 4 S33R, BUT 1 DON’T KNOW 3V3RYTH1NG! 4ND MR. CH3RRY 3Y3S, 1 DO KNOW 1T W1LL T4K3 4 F3W D4YS TO R34CH BOTH LOC4T1ONS, WH1CH 1S WHY 1F W3 DON’T M3T 34CH OTH3R 4T TH3 TOWN OF 4LT3RN1A W1TH1N TWO W33K’S W3’R3 S3ND1NG OUT 4 S34RCH P4RTY WH1L3 TH3 OTH3R’S M4K3 TH31R W4Y TO TH3 M3RK1NGDOM.” “Well that sounds like an excellent plan Mrs. Pyrope,” Jane asked as she finished the last of her pancakes, “but may I ask, who is with who on the teams?” Terezi’s grin grew as she turned to Jane, “TH4T’S 4N 3XC3LL3NT QU3STION BLUE C4NDY! S331NG 4S HOW W3 H4V3 TWO PR1NC3S,” Terezi said the last part glancing at Dave and Dirk, “1 B3L13V3 TH4T TH3Y SHOULD B3 TH3 T34M L34D3RS!!!” Dave shook his head, standing and heading for the stairs to the lower levels, “Nope, not happening, never gonna happen and never will happen as long as I’m alive and breathing.” Terezi ran over and got Dave in a dead lock, dragging him back over to the group kicking. “SORRY CH3RRY, BUT TH4T’S HOW 1T’S GO1NG TO WORK! 1 4LR34DY M4D3 TH3 T34MS ON MY W4Y OV3R H3R3!!” Dave huffed, “Fantastic.” Terezi flicked him on the head, “3NOUGH S4SS FROM YOU!” “Funny, I could say the same to you.”

For the next half hour Terezi and Dave argued about leadership ‘responsibilities’ and ‘rights to say fuck no’ and ‘JUST B3 TH3 L34D3R YOU B1G WUSSY’. Jake thought it was quiet entertaining. A good meal AND a show! Fine dining at its best! After their little ruckus Dave let up, agree only so Terezi wouldn’t continue to kick his ass like she had been for the past half hour. Terezi stood before the group, Dirk and Dave on either side of her. “OK,” She began, pointing to John, Jade, Rose and herself, “YOU, YOU, YOU 4ND M3 4R3 W1TH GRUMPY R3D OV3R H3R3!” Dave’s mood visibly brightened when John came over and gave him a high five, Jade running over and hugging him and Rose nodded to him as she walked to his side. Terezi than turned to the others, pointing to Jake and Jane. “YOU 4ND YOU 4R3 W1TH D1RK, 4LONG W1TH L4TUL4.” A loud whine escaped Roxy as she interrupted, “Buuuuuut what about me???? I’m a good help, tot’s reliable! Plus there’s not an even number on both teams so why don’t I help this one? I’m already all buddy-buddy with Jakey, Janey and Dirky! Come on I’ll be good!!!” Terezi looked at Roxy, about to speak before Roxy’s mother cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone. “I will let you know I am fine with my daughter going with you,” Roxy’s mother began, standing up from her chair to walk over to Dirk, “But let it be known,” she was now face to face with Dirk, her voice cold and fierce, “if my daughter dies while on this journey with you I will hunt you down and do everything in my power to make your life a living hell Mr. Strider.” She then backed up, her stance more relaxed and calm than what it was previously. A shock (and possible scared) look was on Dirk’s otherwise stoic face, while everyone else just looked surprised by Mrs. Lalonde’s comment, Jake gaping at her as she walked over and sat down like nothing happened. Roxy, however, cheered at the comment, running over and hugging the gaping Dirk, “Ohmigursh! This is going to be totally rockin! Holy shit I got to get packed!!!” Roxy let go of Dirk quickly, rushing down the stairs to begin packing. 

Dirk shook his head, rolling his shoulders, brushing off Roxy’s mother’s comment as he turned to Terezi, “Sooo, who’s going to take the ruins of Doom?” Terezi scoffed, “W3LL 1 SUR3 4S H3LL DON’T W4NT TO GO TO SOM3 CR33PY RU1NS, SO TH4TS YOUR JOB.” Dirk’s expression deadpanned, Dave laughing his butt off at his brother unimpressed expression. Terezi cackled along with him, adding, “OF COURS3 TH4TS NOT TH3 ONLY R34SON YOU 1D1OT! BLU3B3RRY ON CH3RR13S T34M H4S W1NDY POW3RS, 4ND S1NC3 TH31R GO1NG TO 4 W1NDY T3MPL3 RU1N 1T’S ONLY LOG1C4L TH4T H1S T34M AND H1MS3LF H34D FOR TH3 W1NDY T3MPL3!” Dirk crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath, “Great, we get stuck with the shitty temple of doom. Fucking fantastic.” After that everyone went to retrieve their things from the rooms, everyone silently making their way to the giant, stringy will wall which separates the fairy world from their own where Latula was waiting with the supplies from both the Summoner and their own kingdom. Latula waved at the group as they approached, Terezi running ahead to tell Latula about the addition to her team. As everyone picked up their fair share of supplies Terezi spoke up. “OK 3V3RYON3, 4FT3R W3 3X1T TH3 F41RY K1NGDOM W3’R3 H34D1NG OUR S3P3R4T3 W4YS 1MM3D1NTLY!!! SO 1F YOU N33D TO S4Y 4NY GOOD BY3S 1 WOULD R3COMM3ND YOU DO 1T NOW!” 

Jake turned to Jade, both of them starting to tear up as they brought each other into a crushing hug. Jane and John did the same, both of them telling the other how much they’ll miss them. Dave and Bro nodded at each other as they shook the other’s hand, while Roxy hugged her mom tightly. Rose was the odd one out, but when Roxy saw the remorseful look on her face Roxy tugged Rose over into a big group hug with her mom, Rose visibly relieved that she has someone that will comfort her. Latula and Terezi had shared some sort of parting joke, each of them laughing lightly, though Jake didn’t register the joke as he was too busy hugging his little sister, this being the last time he’ll see her for two weeks. “Hey Jake,” Jade said as she buried her face in Jake’s shoulder, “Don’t be an idiot and die on me, ok? Because you’re the only family I have left other than Jane, John and uncle…” Jake tightened his grip on Jade, realizing how hard this must be for her, being put in a life or death situation with no way of knowing how her only sibling is doing. “Blimey Jade,” Jake said with a slight laugh through his tears, “I won’t die, that I can guarantee my dear sister. But you must promise me the same! You are so important to me and I don’t want to lose you as much as you don’t want to lose me!” Jade nodded, her tears falling faster down her tanned checks, “O-ok… I promise Jake.” With that Jake gave her one last squeeze before he pulled away, wiping the tears from her cheek. “Now go out there and have a great adventure!” Jake said to Jade, a grin on his face. Jade’s slight frown turned into a wide smile as she punched Jake in the arm (boy did she have a strong arm for a young lady!), “I will! Just watch me! Get going you big doff or else I may start crying again!” After that Jake turned to say his brief good-byes to John before he turned back to Dirk, Roxy, Jane and Latula, everyone all ready to head out.

Jake walked up next to Dirk, a grin on his face as he held his hand out to Dirk. “Ready for an adventure mate?” 

Dirk smirked, grabbing Jake’s hand and yanking him into the stringy willow leaves with him as he said, “I was born ready.”


	12. Medigos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk's POV. It's their first day heading towards the ruin of Doom. Dirk decides Jake has a nice butt and has some inner turmoil going on. Then the group gets an unexpected surprise, along with a new ally. (THERE IS A TRIGGER WARNING PRESENT FOR THIS CHAPTER! READ THE NOTES. PLEASE READ*)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Ok so I wrote this last night, but since I had school in the morning I couldn't post it until this morning. 
> 
> *POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING* Damara is in this chapter, and for most people who read anything containing Damara, she is often sexual and really explicated, and therefore there may be some triggering content in this Chapter. If you are worried about being triggered at all I would recommend skipping paragraph 12 (I will have a little * next to that chapter), and Damara does say some nasty stuff in paragraph 13 as well. I do apologise for Damara in advance (I'm bad at writing Damara but I still wanted to put the trigger warning)
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

This is going to be a long two fucking weeks.

Dirk, Latula, Roxy, Jane and Jake went east, through the lush, thick forest, after they exited the wall of blessed willow leaves, everyone back to their normal sizes, except Roxy, who was as tall as everyone else, her wing’s tattooed into her skin like Dirk’s, which was surprising to say the least. She just rolled her eyes at the stares, saying that being small like that was just a defence mechanism to make sure they aren’t spotted and captured for their fairy dust. Since then everyone had been fairly quiet, either that, or Dirk is too zoned out staring at Jake’s back (with a few glances at that very plush rump) to hear anyone talking. Jake, Jane and Roxy had chose to go ahead of Latula and Dirk, map in hand as they tried to pick the easiest and fastest root through the dense forest to the Ruins of Doom (such an inviting name). While they babbled to each other about god knows what, Dirk was thinking long and hard about what happened this morning (while dodging the occasional branch that wants to poke his eye out or the rock that would love to break his toe). He. Fucking. Purred. And not only that, but he purred because of a dude named Jake Hot-Ass English. Dirk couldn’t remember how long it had been since he had last purred THAT loudly (like holy shit is was loud enough to wake him damn it!), but he knew for damn sure it was before the war with the humans and his parent’s death. It had been so long since then that Dirk wasn’t even sure if his barriers would ever let himself show such contentment every again, but then it clicked. 

He slowly began to realize that Jake was breaking down his emotional barriers, the ones that Dirk had built over hundreds of years to keep him from the pain that came with loving someone and then losing them without a goodbye. Dirk sighed, rubbing his eyes at the thought of his parents, the only family he had had until Dave was born. He was still pretty damn young for a half blood when they were killed in that fucking war, and since Dave was still a teething lil shit, Dirk had to not only step up and be a parental figure for Dave at a young age, but he also had to learn how to be a proper king all at the same time. Dirk knew it was around that time he put up his mental barriers so he wouldn’t look weak, so he wouldn’t be hurt like that again, so he would look strong enough to be a good king and a great bro for Dave. But Dirk paid a high price for that. Dirk held in all of his emotions, never letting it out for anyone to see. His happiness, his despair, his pain, his joy, his anger, they were all kept bundled up inside of him, and because of this he would snap at people, throw objects (like his katana) when he couldn’t hold in his anger anymore, and lock himself away in his room, away from everyone and everything. Dirk was told countless times by his supervisors and assistants that he was unwelcoming and acted harshly, and Dirk knew that that was completely true, that he was harsh and cruel to people, and sometimes he thought that he would never be friendly to people he didn’t already know because he wasn’t capable of it. But ever since he met Jake… ever since those jungle green, emerald eyes and pitch black hair came up to him at the Egberts household to greet him… he began to think that maybe he wasn’t as unwelcoming as he previously thought. But then again he also began to do stupid shit, like purring or smiling like an idiot whenever he made Jake smile like an idiot.

Dirk shook his head, not realizing he was growling out his frustration and confusion about what the fuck was going on with him until Latula tapped him on the shoulder, giving him an odd look when he glanced over at her. She crossed her arms at Dirk, looking sternly at him, “Your brood1ng D1rk, wh4t’s go1ng on up 1n th4t h34d of yours th4t’s m4k1ng you look 4ll p1ss3d 4nd sh1t?” He cursed under his breath, his growling stopping quickly as he waved his hand dismissively, not wanting Latula to know about his inner turmoil over Jake. Latula, however, knew something was up as Dirk turned back to stare at the back of Jake’s head (and possible his ass). Dirk could hear the smirk in her voice as Latula whispered to Dirk, “3ngl1sh h4s 4 n1c3 4ss, r1ght Str1d3r?” And before Dirk could stop himself he hummed in response, “Yep, damn fine plush rump.” He felt his cheeks heat up to a point where he thought he was going to burst into actual flames, thanking whatever gods are out there that Jake was too busy arguing with Jane over the map (though Roxy gave them both a sideways, curious glance). Doing his best to keep his calm composure, he turned to Latula, a smug grin on her face (probably because she was able to get Dirk to blush). Latula was also obviously holding in a laugh when Dirk locked eyes with her, which just made him feel even crappier that he let that slip. “Don’t-,” was all Dirk had to say for Latula to burst out laughing, doubling over and clenching her gut as she shook with laughter. Her sudden outburst caught the attention of the others, Dirk mentally slapping himself at just how awful the situation was becoming, his cheeks still red from embarrassment. Jane and Jake looked confusedly at Latula, who was doing her best to calm down, though every time she looked up and saw Jake or made eye contact with Dirk, she doubled over again, laughing her ass off. Roxy wasn’t looking at Latula though, she was looking at Dirk, a curious smile plastered over her face as Dirk looked up at her, and when Dirk realized she was looking between him and Jake, he quickly adverted his eye’s from her, completely fucking done with this whole situation. 

Dirk stomped up to Jane and Jake, snatching the map from their hands, walking ahead of them, through the thick bush. “How far are we from the nearest town?” Dirk growled as he looked at the map, no indications of their current location on the map with no landmarks. Jane, who looked surprised that the map was no longer in her hands, let out a small “oh!” as she bounded up beside Dirk, pointing to the most northern side of the forest. “We’re right here! Annnnnnd right… here,” She pointed to a town a few miles north-east of where they were, “Is the closest town! Jake and me were having a bit of an argument about the whole thing!” Jane said, crossing her arms and glaring back at Jake, who mimicked her stance when she set eyes on him. “He wants to stay out here in the woods! Of all places! And camp ‘under the stars’. If you ask me it’s a death wish!” Jake rolled his eyes at Jane’s remarks, unimpressed. “Jane, if we go to that bloody town then not only will we waste time, but we will also be heading the opposite direction of the temple!!!!” Jake had a point, the temple was in the opposite direction of the town, and heading to it would only add on the mile’s they’d have to travel the following days. Jake had spread his arms out wide, motioning to the woods around them. “It’s truly not THAT bad out here in theses calm woods!” However with Jake, and his apparent bad luck, a loud thud and a chorus of shrill cries sounded up head other group in the direction Dirk had been previously heading. 

What the fuck was that?

Dirk stopped in his tracks, carefully rolling up the old map and handing it off to Jane, who was glaring back at Jake with daggers. Jake gave her a sheepish smile, drawing his double pistols as Dirk unsheathed his Katana. Roxy also knew that this was probably going to get messy, snatching the map from Jane and shoving the red pitchfork into her hands as she attached the map to her pink satchel, her magic rifle materializing in her hands, aimed and ready to fire. Jane looked down at the pitchfork for a few good seconds, probably forgetting she even brought it before her grip around it’s handle tighten, a determined look in her light blue eyes. Dirk held a finger over his mouth, telling the others to be quiet before he turned forward again, carefully maneuvering through the bush towards the shrill cries and breaking branches, opting to stay in his human form for easier movement. When a blur of red, green and orange blurred through the forest ahead of them in a small clearing Dirk ducked behind a tree, the others following suit, hiding behind different trees side by side. Jake looked over at Dirk, a worried expression on his face as another close, loud cry rang out. Dirk thought he recognized the cries, but he couldn’t be sure until he looked, so he held up his hand, silently telling Jake and the others to stay put as he peered around the trunk of the he was using for safety, praying that whatever is ahead doesn’t see them. When Dirk saw what, or rather who, was making all those awful cries, he scowled. The Medigos.

The Medigo’s are half dragons like Dirk and Dave, though they are part serpentine, Japanese dragons, and therefore instead of having wings they have powerful telekinesis abilities, allowing them to fly using their mind. Dirk had only ever encountered them once, and even then he didn’t meet all of them. He had only meet the youngest one, Aradia he thinks was her name, when she was visiting Derse and some old friends. Other than that he had only heard stories about them, how they worshipped Lord English and did his dirty work, though when he meet Aradia he couldn’t see how any of that was true, but he now realized why. Aradia was bloody on the ground, giant gashes along her side and arms from claws, he older sister, Damara, standing in front of her, their mother, who was a full-fledged dragon, glaring down at Aradia in distaste. 

Aradia was in her full form, her scales a rusty red colour where crimson was not dripping over them, her underbelly and skin a light grey like Latula’s due to the Medigo’s mixed blood between dark and serpentine, Japanese dragons, her teeth bared through dark red painted lips at her sister and mother. She also had long, black, curly hair which had two spiral horns which faded from red to yellow. Her black hair acted like a mane as tuffs of said ran along her spine and tail with a giant bunch of her curly hair at the end of her tail. Her black Kimono dress was badly torn, and Dirk could see pieces of the same cloth handing from her sister’s claws. Damara was much older than Aradia, her rust red scales changing along her side to allow a long, broken strip of bright green to go the length of her body and tail. And unlike Aradia she wore her hair up in a bun, two needles holding it in place. Her spiral horns where also a buit bigger and had a wider swirl than Aradia’s too. With her hair up anyone could easily see the trail of soft hair which sprouted up from her spinal area as it traveled down her back and tail, with giant bunch of hair also sprouting at the end of her tail. She was wearing a low cut red kimono that also had an open back like Araida’s, with very few rips in it, and even fewer scratches on Damara herself. She was scowling down at her sister just like her mother was. Their mother was completely dragon, and just like her daughters her scales were a rusty red while her plated under belly was coloured grey. Her eyes were a lighter shade of red, and when Dirk double checked, her daughters also shared the same coloured irises and slit pupils. Dirk remembered hearing about how the oldest Medigo, the mother, was nicknamed the Handmaid due to her assisting Lord English and attending to his every wish like a handmaid would her master (there were even some rumours and stories Dirk heard about how her two daughters were also Lord English’s, and to be honest, Dirk could easily see Lord English changing into his human form and using his servants in THAT way, which disgusted Dirk beyond belief). Unlike her daughters though, her tuff mane of hair was black and green, and she had a long streak of green and yellow running along her long, lean, rusty red body, which was about 5 times bigger and longer than Dirk in his full form. Her horn’s where the same colour as her daughters, though they were way bigger and they probably were as big as Dirk. The Handmaid let out a shrill shout at her daughters, though by the smug smile on Damara’s face and the angered one on Aradia’s, it was directed to the younger of the two.

Aradia did her best to stand on her wobbly legs, obviously weak and defeated, though when she began yelling at her sister and mother, she appeared anything BUT defeated. “Why are y0u tw0 d0ing this?!!!” Aradia screamed in Japanese, her anger and confusion over flowing, “He destr0yed 0ur pe0ples 0ld w0rld and he’s g0ing t0 destr0y this w0rld t00!!! Why d0 y0u tw0 ad0re that m0nster s0 much???!!!” Damara let out a high pitched laugh as she responded in the same tongue, “He will make us slut goddesses Aradia!!! We may become his fuck toys in return, but at least we will be as powerful as he is. Look at mother! Due to her sucking his fat fucking dick and appealing to his sexual needs he has made her his greatest ally, and even though that fishy bitch Condy who has god awful tits is in the way of her having all of Lord English’s attention, he still let’s mother draw from his sweet, intoxicating dark energy and power. I don’t see why your such against it sister, we could rule everything with him.” Aradia was fuming. “THERE WILL BE N0THING IF HE DESTR0YS THIS W0RLD Y0U IDI0T! IF HE DESTR0YS THIS W0RLD THERES N0THINH LEFT BUT DARKNESS AND C0RRUPTI0N!!!” Aradia was about to charge at her sister when their mother whipped her tail around, hitting Aradia and sending her flying into a tree with such force that the clearly healthy and strong tree fell over, the loud snapping of branches and other nearby trees breaking under it echoing throughout the forest. Dirk whipped back around, looking and counting to make sure all of his team was alright as the tree Aradia hit was only a few metres from Roxy’s tree. 

Aradia was laying across the trunk of the fallen tree, eyes heavy lidded and a stream of blood running from her nose and mouth down onto her already blood stained kimono. Her sister scoffed at her, the handmaid glaring at her misbehaving daughter. Dirk looked over at Aradia sadly, she was a sweet heart when he met her, getting along with Dave fairly well and keeping him company during her stay in Derse. He hated seeing her hurt like that, but he didn’t want to act, going against the older Medigos because holy fucking shit, her mom was HUGE, and evidently had the power to go with it. However as he looked over at the brutally beaten Aradia from behind his hiding tree she slowly looked to her side, towards Dirk than the others. When she caught sight of Dirk, her rusty red eye’s locking with his golden orange, a small smile appeared on her bloody lips as she mouthed, “Dirk Strider…” before she closed her eyes, her body visibly relaxing and going limp. Whether from exhaustion or… Dirk couldn’t be sure, but he damn well knew he wouldn’t let the Handmaid or Damara leave here without a few broken bones.

Dirk turned back to the others, a pissed the total fuck off look on his face as he made eye contact with everyone, holding eye contact with Latula a bit longer since she had obviously recognized Aradia like Dirk, her own fangs bared in anger at Damara and the handmaid. Dirk nodded out towards where the Handmaid and Damara were, each look disgustedly at Aradia while making comments like “What a worthless shit,” and “Lord English should be pleased,” trying to convey that they all are going to attack these bitches. 

Dirk stood proudly, determinedly, as he walked out from behind the old tree, Latula following suit by unsheathing her longsword and walking along side Dirk into the clearing, their weapons held up and ready for a fight. “Yo b1tch3s who n33d th31r 4ss3s k1ck!” Latula called out, causing Damara and her mother to turn their attention away from the unconscious Aradia towards the two, their glares turning into surprised looks. “Oh it appears that the Prince of Derse and one of his oh so trusted knights have come to us for a fight. Either that, or they’ve come for a good fuck.” Damara said in Japanese, a wicked smirk running across her face as she took out dual wands, pointing them at the two, “I’ll make sure to fuck you both with my wands once I’m done blowing your brains out.” Damara charged at Dirk and Latula, unaware of their companions until Roxy fired her magic, purple rifle from cover, hitting Damara straight in the chest and sending her flying back against her mother, though it didn’t do much damage other than rip her already low collar kimono, the hit only angering Damara and the handmaid. Jane charged out from cover, as did Jake, pitchfork and pistols in hand, while Roxy hid behind the thick cover of the trees, shooting at the Handmaid and Damara. 

(*) Damara’s eyes began to glow multiple colours along with her mothers, each of them baring their fangs and growling at the teens. Latula charged at the handmaid, dodging her tail and claws as she swung her sword at the dragon while Roxy fired at the Handmaid’s chest and head, the two distracting her while the others took care of Damara. Jake shot at Damara, who was pretty damn fast with dodging his attacks. Before Jane could attack Damara, and probably get killed, Dirk grabbed her arm, Jane turning to face him confusedly. Dirk pointed to Aradia’s still body, shouting over the gun fire and sound of metal on scales, “GO TO ARADIA AND HEAL HER, SHE’S GOOD AND IM NOT ABOUT TO LET HER DIE!! GO BEFORE DAMARA AND THE HANDMAID REALIZE WHAT YOU’RE DOING!!” Jane nodded, turning away from Dirk and using the tree line as cover as she made her way to Aradia, checking to see if there was anything they could do for her. Dirk turned back to the fight, looking at Damara who had Jake pinned under her in a sexual manner, his guns a few feet above his head. Damara held her nearly fully exposed breasts to Jake’s face, Jake looking freaked the fuck out and uncomfortable. “Suck my tit’s human and cum as I let you fuck my hand,” Damara said in her native tongue as she held both of Jake’s hand’s above his head with one hand, bring the other down, looking ready to slip below Jake’s belt line as she shoved her breasts further into Jake’s face. Dirk was going to burn that bitch alive.

Dirk flash-stepped up to Damara, kicking that bitch off of the uncomfortable Jake and slashing at her side with his sword. “LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU SICK FUCKING SLUT!” Dirk shouted in Japanese (Dirk knew many languages due to him being heir to the throne of Derse, though time’s like this he really wished he didn’t have to understand Damara’s crude words and intentions). Dirk was able to leave a huge gash along Damara’s side before she could realize what happened and recover. Before Dirk could hit her again she rolled to the side, standing and holding her stomach where the gash was, that awful smirk that Dirk wanted to rip off her face still present as she said, “Oh, would you like me to fuck you instead young prince? Maybe take your virginity with my tongue up your ass.” Dirk scowled at her, saying disgustedly in her native tongue, “Uh, yeah, no. I’d rather see you burn alive than let you touch me or Jake like that again.” She peered over at Jake, who had since sat up and covered his groin, looking down at the ground, ashamed and violated (which he most certainly was because of that slut), a sinister smirk on her face as she said, “Oh… so I take it he’s your fuck buddy?” THAT BITCH! She smiled wider when Dirk charged at her, seeing that she hit a nerve. Dirk was ready to kill her with a dull katana, too bad his was sharp enough to slice through bone. 

He continued to hack and slash at Damara, who easily dodged his attack’s, pissing him off even more. Thankfully Jake was well enough to grab his guns, starting to shoot quickly and precisely at Damara, who was having trouble dodging both bullets and a katana at the same time, leaving her with countless cuts and gashes along her body. When Dirk glanced over at Latula, who was fighting the handmaid, he saw Latula covered in scratched and claw marks, obviously tired with her swings becoming weaker and sloppier with each attack, though by the looks of it she and Roxy had done a number on the Handmaid. He lunged at Damara again, who dodged his attack only to get stuck by one of Jake’s bullets in the arm. When she tried sending a spell back to Jake Dirk stepped out in front, blocking the fire spell with his sword. That apparently was enough for Damara to make a huge fucking mistake by messing with Dirk. She flew over the prince, landing in front of Jake and grabbing his guns, tossing them to the side while kissing him on the lips, all tongue as Jake tried breaking free of her clawed grasp.

Dirk snapped.

Dirk didn’t know what happened, but all he could feel was pure rage and anger towards Damara, and in that moment he dropped his Katana, holding his hand out in front of him, magenta sparks beginning to run up his arm and hands. When Damara pulled back from Jake and looked at Dirk with that awful face of hers he felt a power he hadn’t felt in a long time surge through him, the surrounding area becoming alit with magenta light as huge bolts of Magenta coloured magic shot from Dirk’s hands towards Damara. Everyone stopped mid-battle, Latula and the Handmaid turning to look at the source of this light, Roxy also gaping at mass amount of magic pouring out of Dirk. Dirk’s magic surrounded Damara, trapping her as he pulled her away from the dazed and confused Jake, into the air above him. There Dirk searched for something, anything, looking into Damara’s very core, before he felt a small, cold ball of energy. He took hold of it and pulled.

Damara let out a painful, tormented scream as Dirk pulled at the ball of energy, the sparks of magenta becoming more frequent as a ghost image of Damara started to appear with each tug. Everyone was frozen in place, staring in awe at Dirk, who eyes were engulfed in magic made from pure hate. “TIME TO DIE BITCH.” Dirk growled as a surge of energy went through him, pulling on Damara’s soul to the point where it was nearly separated from her body, which was still screaming bloody murder. However just as fast as that surge of energy came, it dissipated, and with it Dirk’s power’s. Dirk collapsed to his knee’s as the unconscious Damara fell to the ground with a satisfying CRACK. Dirk was using all of his remaining strength to stay awake as he slowly looked around. Jake was looking at Dirk awestruck, which caused Dirk to quickly look away as he felt himself starting to have a faint feeling of the magic coming back with the thought of what Damara did to poor Jake. He turned and looked over at Latula and the Handmaid, Latula gaping at him while the Handmaid looked at him with wide eyes. He did his best to stand, trying to look strong as he took a step towards the Handmaid, baring his fangs and letting out a low, menacing growl. The Handmaid took the hint to get the fuck outta there, using her telekinesis to rise in the air, flying over Dirk and the others. She also used her powers to pick up Damara’s limp body, carrying it off over the horizon of trees. 

Dirk stood his ground, glaring in the direction the two took off in for a good few minutes before walking over and collapsing against a tree, dead fucking tired. Jake, Roxy and Latula rand over to Dirk, Jake sitting down beside Dirk and looking him in the eyes. “Golly Dirk… that was something!’ Jake said with a slight, strained chuckle, “You sure kicked her wretched arse!” Dirk knew that Jake was trying to make Dirk feel better, probably putting two and two together about what caused his extreme outburst. Dirk brought his hand up to Jake’s cheek and kept eye contact with Jake as he said through lidded eyes, “Hey, are you ok Jake?” Dirk could tell the smile Jake gave him was forced. “Of course Strider! Why wouldn’t I be?” Dirk looked sternly up at Jake, who shrunk under his gaze. Dirk brought his other hand up, wrapping both his arms around Jake and pulling him into a large hug. “You know what I mean.” Dirk whispered into Jake’s ear, Jake slowly wrapping his arms around Dirk and burying his face in his shoulder. “Thank you Dirk…” Jake whispered as he hung onto Dirk for dear life. Dirk rubbed Jake’s back as he looked to the two girls, who were looking sadly down at Jake, each probably knowing what had happened on the battle field. Dirk sighed, resting his head atop Jake’s as he said, “LT, could you go check on Jane and Aradia, I want to see if their ok.” But before Latula could even turn around Jane and Aradia walked up beside Roxy, Aradia mostly healed, in her humanoid form and supporting the weak Jane. Aradia sincerely smiled at Dirk, though she looked a bit sad when she saw Jake in Dirk’s arms, a sad realization flickering through her rusty red eyes. Aradia handed Jane over to Roxy before she knelt down beside Jake and Dirk, tapping Jake on the shoulder to get his attention. 

Jake looked up from Dirk’s shoulder, eyes slightly red from unshed tears, up to Aradia who gave him genuine, heartwarming smile. Thankfully Aradia looked a lot different from Damara, her hair down, her eye’s much wider than Damara’s and her lips not as thick. Jake looked up at her confusedly before he realized that this was Damara’s sister, Aradia, he gave her a sheepish, “Hello.” Aradia knew that the humans couldn’t speak in Japanese, and therefore she began to speak in English, saying calmly and sorrowfully, “I’m very s0rry f0r whatever my sister had did t0 y0u, she and my m0ther are cruel and wicked pe0ple and I w0uld like t0 ask if I may pr0ve t0 y0u that I am n0thing like them.” While keeping her distance from Jake so she wouldn’t make him more uncomfortable than he already was, she held out her hand, a huge smile on her face. Jake looked up at Aradia, obviously surprised. He let go of Dirk (much to his disappointment) and stood, grabbing Aradia’s hand and giving it a firm shake. “I think you have already proven as much Miss Aradia.” Jake said, giving her a small smile. When he let go of her hand she still knew to keep her distance from him, turning to Dirk. “I suspect y0u all weren’t 0ut in these w00ds f0r n0 reas0n.” Dirk nodded, standing up on weak legs before he resorted to leaning against Latula for support. “Yeah, we are on our way to the ruined temple of Doom, hoping that there we can find some more insight on where Lord English’s sister, Calliope, may be.” Aradia nodded, looking a bit surprised about this. “Well I sure h0pe y0u all aren’t planning t0 c0ntinue traveling like this!” Aradia said, motioning to the group, who was beaten up badly. Dirk sighed, rubbing his eyes, still exhausted. “Well there’s a t0wn n0t t00 far fr0m here we were debating whether or not to head to. Looks like we don’t really have a choice now since staying in the woods would probably be a death wish with Latula all scratched up and Jane and I being completely exhausted.” 

Aradia nodded more enthusiastically now, a giant grin plastered over her face as she began to float in the air, pointing into the forest. “Y0ur pr0bably talking ab0ut the t0wn 0f Bef0rus!!! It’s n0t t00 far fr0m here actually!! We sh0uld be able t0 make it there bef0re sund0wn!” Aradia’s grin faded as she floated to the ground, looking down. “Then again I can understand if I’m unwelc0med in y0u party.” Jake crossed his arms, and even though Aradia had been trying her best to keep her distance from him, Jake went over and brought her into a crushing hug. “By golly! You are obviously welcomed in our group of merry misfits! Dirk obviously trusts you, and if that big oaf trust’s you, well then you can bet my pistols I trust you too.” That made Dirk’s heart do a little flip as it swelled with pride and a warm, fuzzy feeling, causing Dirk to mentally slap himself because he was NOT about to turn to mush every time Jake said something like that. Aradia was stunned for a second before she hugged Jake back, both pulling away after a few seconds to grin at each other. After Jake turned back to Dirk and Latula he walked over and hooked his arm around Dirk’s waist and put Dirk’s arm over his shoulders, taking him away from Latula who was probably too injured to be able to support Dirk all the way to the town. 

After that group and their new addition began to walk through the thick bush and with Aradia’s telekinesis they were able to remove a lot of the objects in their way, making it easier for the injured and exhausted to maneuver through the dense forest. When they had left the clearing the sun was high in the sky, but by the time they reached the outskirts of the moderately sized town, the stars where out and the moon was peaking over the mountains on the horizon. Everyone who wasn’t already exhausted before that long trek was now, the group slowly entering the town. With Latula covered in dried blood and Jane and Dirk being held up by their friends, all of their swords covered in blood, they earned a few worried stares from the town’s folk. A young woman dressed in all white carrying a mail satchel approached the group, her weapon drawn. “Who are you and why are you in our town?” She said, obviously not happy to see strangers covered in blood in her town. Jake looked up at this young woman, a pleading look on his face as he said, “Please help us… we were ambushed and some of us where badly injured. We just… we just need a place to stay for the night. We have gold and we will pay for any supplies you could give us if you have any to spare.” The woman looked sternly at Jake, her silver eye’s looking into Jake’s, assessing if she could trust them. With a sigh she lowered her weapon, turning and motioning the group to follow her. 

They followed her without question, the woman leading them to a giant Tavern named “Checkered Pawns and Pub” with “room’s for rent” underneath the main sign. The woman stepped through the door, calling out “Renegade! We have some injured travelers who need a room for the night!” When Jake and Dirk walked through the doors to the pub Dirk saw that it actually was quiet the nice looking place for such a small town, everything clean and tidy with really nice wooden tables and bar top. A short man with black hair and eyes wearing a yellow tunic stepped out from behind the bar, looking the group up and down before he went back behind the bar, wordlessly setting a box full of medical supplies on the counter. The woman took said box, instructing Latula, the most injured of the group, to lay down on one of the nearby tables while the rest go get rooms for the night. Roxy quickly went over, sweet talking “renegade”, probably hoping to get some of his better rooms for a discounted price. While she did that Dirk and Jake sat down near the table that the woman was at, working on Latula. “You may call me PM.” She said as she stitched up one of the bigger gashes on Latula’s arm. Jake smiled over at her, “Thank you for helping us PM, we were in dire need of it.” PM nodded at Jake, a smile on her face before she turned back to Latula, continuing to focus on sewing up her wounds.

Roxy bounded over to Jake, Dirk, Jane and Aradia, spinning three sets of keys on her pointer finger. “I have some totally awesome people skillz if you haven’t already noticed” Roxy said as she handed a key to Dirk and the other to Latula, “Janey and me are sharing a room, which means you two Dorks,” she said, pointing to Dirk and Jake, “are sharing a room while these other two lovely ladies bunk together. Come on, I’m so tired if I don’t get to bed soon I’m going to drink something.” Aradia’s and Latula’s was the first door on the left up the spiral stairs, both girls saying goodnight to the others. The next room was Roxy’s and Jane’s and it was a bit further down the hall, on the right. For the most part Dirk could now walk on his own, so after they said goodnight to Latula and Aradia he choose to walk down the hall without any support from Jake. Jane quickly said goodnight to Jake and Dirk, turning and walking into the room that and two beds on either side of the room. After Roxy said good night to the two boys Jake quickly turned around, walking down the long hall way to his and Dirk’s room (which was, for some fucking reason, all the way at the end of the hall). Before Dirk could trudge after Jake someone grabbed his arm, and when he looked over his shoulder he saw it was Roxy, a smug grin on her face as she gave Dirk a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Dirk rolled his eyes at her, a giggle emanating from behind him after he began to continue down the hall to catch up to Jake, who was fumbling with the keys to their room. At first Dirk thought nothing of Roxy’s eyebrow wiggle and grin, but when Jake opened the door and the two boys entered the room Dirk knew he shouldn’t have let Roxy choose the rooms. 

Inside the room was a single, large, king sized bed with red, silk covers. The walls of the room were a deep red, and the floor had a nice brown stained wooden panels on it, though it and the bed were covered in a billion fucking rose petals. Dirk dead panned, his cheeks heating up along with Jake’s as a booming laughter echoed down the hall, followed by a “HAVE A ‘GOOD’ NIIGHT JAKEY AND DI-STRI! WINK WONK AHAHAHA!” and a door slamming shut. DAMN IT ROXY! Dirk sighed exasperatedly as he was too tired for this shit. Dirk set down his bags near the door, shutting it and grabbing some of his royal night wear (which happened to be purple) and slipping it on. He turned to Jake who had a deep red blush on his cheeks as he looked at Dirk. Before Jake could say anything Dirk held up his hand, using the other to shove a pair of royal yellow P.Js into Jake’s hands. “Put these on, there really fucking comfy.” Dirk said before he nodded towards the door, “And ignore Roxy, she’s being a smart ass tonight.” Jake took the clothes, nodded before quickly and quietly slipping out of his torn clothes into the golden P.Js.

Dirk brushed off the stupid flower petals from the bed, crawling in and finding that he was actually thankful Roxy got this room because Damn, was the bed ever comfortable. Jake slide into bed next to Dirk, looking a bit hesitantly at him before he tapped Dirk on the shoulder. “Hmm?” Dirk responded, half asleep. “Um, would it be ok it I, uh, stayed near you tonight Dirk? I don’t want to be a bother but-,” Before Jake could continue Dirk reached over and pulled Jake into his side. Dirk knew Jake was beaming as he wrapped his arms around Dirk, resting his head on his shoulder. As Jake’s breathing evened out several minutes later Dirk was still wide awake, staring blankly up at the ceiling as an uncontrollable, low rumble began in his chest while his heart did back flips and pirouettes of a fucking cliff.

Dirk was right. This is really going to be a long two fucking weeks.


	13. Traveling to the Mountains: First half of Day one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's POV. Terezi get's the group lost in the forest and they fool around before having to get serious. They then find a fruit orchard and Terezi munches on some cherries before an short and angry dude gets pissed at them and more stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! So I have a few things I would like to say in this note.  
> First off, I would like to thank everyone who has commented, read and/or left a kudos on my work and who has supported me in writing this fic. As you all probably know this is my first Fic and I'm so happy to see so many people enjoying it!  
> Secondly, I know it took me a while to write this chapter. Whenever I post a chapter of URWABBE I stop working on it momentarily to work on KCO, and when I post a KCO chapter, I stop working on it and work on URWABBE. Now the problem with that is that if it took me awhile to write the chapter of the previous Fan fic I might not be able to post in under a week, especially if I got writers block, which brings me to the third thing which I want to tell you guys.  
> I got writers block on this chapter!!! I knew what was going to happen in this chapter, I just didn't know how I would get up to those points, so at the beginning of the chapter I had serious writers block, so I'm sorry if this took a bit longer than expected.  
> Fourthly, I was wondering if you guys had any requests I could do, so that if I get writers block on one of my chapters maybe writing something else will help make me more creative and help with the writers block. However they can't be requests like a huge multi-chapter thing like this or KCO, more like either a one-shot or a 2 or 3 chapter sort of thing. I have a few idea's for the next few giant fanfics after KCO and this one, so it'll probably be awhile before I ask for any large requests.  
> Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported my fan fics thus far! I hope you all enjoy the next Chapter of URWABBE!!!

Dave wanted this journey to be over with already. 

After they had left the fairy kingdom Dave had to “lead” the group through the forest, towards the giant ass mountains which they would reach in a few days (or a year with the rate they were walking). And by “lead” he means constantly asking Terezi which way to go, consider to tell Rose to politely fuck off when she smirks at him and John when they’re joking around and wondering where the hell they’re actually going. Dave and Terezi had to change into their human forms since the bush was so damn thick, and even then they were getting scratched up and Dave was constantly stubbing his toes on hidden rocks. Terezi won’t let anyone else at the map and Dave swears that their going in circles. He’s seen the same damn large oval rock protruding from the ground 4 times already and a large, old, grey tree just as many times. When Dave saw that very old Tree appearing through the bush in front of them he had had it. “TZ!” Dave growled when he stormed up to Terezi from behind her, “Where the fuck are we going?? Oh wait, I know, we’re going in circles that’s what!” Terezi glance over her shoulder at Dave with an unimpressed face, “SO? YOU G4V3 M3 TH3 M4P 4FT3R W3 L3FT! WH1CH W4S SORT OF STUP1D ON YOUR P4RT R3D CH3RRY CONS1D3R1NG 1’M BL1ND!” Dave grumbled, “Yeah I know Terezi, don’t remind me. But you also haven’t given me or anyone else the map whenever we’ve asked!” Terezi got a wicked grin on her face as she turned to look forward again, “TH4T’S B3C4US3 1 4M D3T3RM1N3D TO COMPL3T3 TH3 T4SK G1V3N TO M3!!!” Dave, realizing this was going to get him nowhere, grabbed the map from Terezi’s hand, Terezi letting out a small “H3Y NO F41R!” before she turned to glare at Dave as he read the map. 

Dave skimmed it over, not sure where the fuck they actually were due to Terezi’s aimless wondering. Dave stopped walking, deciding that if they are lost (which they totally are) that they shouldn’t continue walking to who the hell knows where. John stopped abruptly too, nearly running into Dave’s back with Dave’s sudden stop. Rose and Jade, who were farther behind John and Dave, walked up next to the two boys while Terezi pivoted on her heels, turning around and walking back to the group without a stutter in her step. “Everything ok Dave?" John asked as he stood on his tippy toes, peering over Dave’s shoulder at the large map. Dave shook his head, “Nope, everything is not ok considering we may be fucking lost.” “Lost?!” Jade shouted, looking around worriedly at the forest around them, her wolf ears flat against her head and her bright green eyes blown wide. Dave sighed, nodding, as he looked around, trying to find a distinguishable land mark they could go off of. Dave looked around into the bush, but all he saw was rows and rows of trees and bushes. He turned his head upwards, peering around to try and see if he could see any mountains over the huge trees. Nothing. He then tried to see which direction the sun was, however it was still early in the morning, and with the sun blocked by the canopy of the trees there was no way of telling which direction they were heading until it started to set. Utterly fucking fantastic, good going Terezi. John looked around too, seeing what Dave was doing, and when he saw nothing too he grabbed a hold of Dave’s arm and gave it a small tug to get the others attention. Dave looked over his shoulder, John looking both worried and a bit sheepish. “I, uh,” John began as Dave looked into John’s beautiful blue eyes which were trained on his bright ruby ones, John obviously having trouble focusing, “Um, I mean, shit, uh, I mean I have an idea!” John was only able to get out the last part when he looked over Dave’s shoulder and not at his eyes, John’s face turning red. Since John wasn’t looking at where Dave’s eyes were looking anymore Dave peered over at Rose and Jade. Rose was giving Dave an amused smirk, one which Dave returned with a smugger one, while Jade, who had since calmed down and didn’t look as frantic, was doing her best to hold in her giggles. Dave could also hear Terezi’s cackling laugh, one which she was not worried about keeping in. 

Dave looked back at John, who now had his very bright red face in his hands. Dave’s smirk grew when he took the map in one hand and wrapped his arms around John, pulling him into a huge hug, John letting out a small surprised sound at the action. Dave was a bit stronger than John due to him being part dragon, and even though John had slightly larger muscles than Dave, who was leaner, John couldn’t pull away from Dave’s hug. Dave rested his chin on John’s head much to the other’s protests. John put his hands on Dave’s chest and tried pushing away to no avail, the girls all letting out giggles here and there. “Daaaaaaaaave your being an ass right now, you know that?” John said as he tried to push against Dave’s chest again, Dave letting out his own chuckle when he said, “I hope I’m a fine ass then Egderp, wouldn’t want to disappoint the ladies am I right?” Terezi and Jade let out some hoots and hollers at Dave’s comment and Dave swore he felt John’s face heat up more against his chest. Oh god this was gold. Dave decided he tormented John enough, opening his arms up just as John gave a really fucking hard push against his chest, which Dave was not ready for. John got away from Dave, yes, but he also was propelled backwards, falling onto his back after struggling to catch his footing, his bag which was slung over his shoulder also taking a tumble. The same thing happened to Dave only when he was walking backwards to steady himself Terezi stuck out her foot (that bitch!) which Dave promptly tripped over onto his ass. The girls let out a chorus of laughter. “Dave…” John said as he laid on the ground, staring blankly up at the sky, “I hate you.” Dave nodded as he sat up, looking over at John and the laughing girls, “Love you too Dork.” 

After a while Terezi’s laughing died down considerably before she spoke, her laughing replaced with a serious tone, “OK, TH4T W4S 4BSOLUT3LY H1L4R1OUS R3D CH3RRY STR1D3R 4ND BLU3B3RRY 1D1OT, BUT L1K3 YOU S41D, W3’R3 LOST 4ND SHOULD STOP M3SS1NG 4ROUND LONG 3NOUGH TO G3T OUT OF H3R3!” The girls’ laughter stopped rather quickly, and the laugh that started to bubble out of John and Dave was cut short by that comment. Dave quickly rose to his feet, brushing himself off before he looked back to the map, everyone crowding around it. John was to Dave’s right while Terezi was to his left, Rose and Jade opposite of him. Before he or Terezi could say anything about their unfortunate circumstance though Rose cleared her throat, catching everyone’s attention. She looked down at the map in front of her before she looked over at John. “John,” she began encouragingly, “You said you had an idea of how to get us out of our rather unfortunate situation.” John looked at her dumbly for a moment before he let out a small “Oh!” looking down at the map. “Ok, so I think it’s pretty fricken clear that were in the middle of this giant ass forest,” John said as he pointed to the large green area on the map that took up a good 5 miles in any direction from the middle, though some parts heading into the large and long valley (which was around the middle of the map) opposite of the Fairies’ and Arachni’s mountain (which was situated eastwardly on the map) were longer and went into said valley in long strips and clumps with a small town seated at the edge of the forest in the direction Dave’s bro and the others were heading. Next to the forest, on the far south side, was the southern coast of the continent. The continent itself was about 6 thousand miles long and over 8 thousand miles wide, another continent south of it separated by miles of ocean. Dave saw Derse’s mountain a few miles north of the Fairy’s mountain, John’s town of Skia situated at its base. “Buuuut it’s also obvious that no matter where we exit the forest we’re either going to be in the large valley that we need to cross to get to the other mountain, near the coast OR at the mountain that houses the Arachni and Fairies, so no matter where we come out we’ll be able to find out where we are and go from there, even if it does add a few miles onto our journey!” 

Jade had a large grin on her face as she gave her cousin a congratulatory slap on the back, Dave watching as all the air escaped John’s lungs. “Good going John! Now all we have to do is walk in any direction and BAM! We will be home free!” Rose smirked, “No exactly Jade, as if we come out at the coast or the Fairy’s mountain we would have a whole extra day tagged into our long journey, not to mention that we must climb a mountain. This means that your siblings and Roxy would, without the longer trip we may have to make, most likely make it to our designated location before us, but with the possibility of an extra Day tagged onto our journey there is a possibility we may not make it to the location in two weeks’ time.” Jade’s ears flattened as a pout came to her face, “Dang it! Your right, and if we don’t make it they may send out a search party!!! Then what are we going to do?!” Terezi grabbed the map out of Dave’s hand, rolling it up as Dave looked at her with a scowl. “We weren’t done with that TZ!” Terezi rolled her eyes, hooking the map to the back she had situated over her shoulder. “Y3S YOU 4R3 STR1D3R!” Terezi said as she sniffed the air, turning slightly before she began marching off in some random direction, “W3 4R3N’T G3TT1NG 4NYWH3R3 S1TT1NG 4ROUND H3R3 L1K3 4 BUNCH OF LOS3RS! W3 N33D TO G3T GO1NG 4ND F1ND 4 W4Y OUT OF H3R3 B3FOR3 SUNDOWN!” Dave looked at Rose, Jade and John, each of them looking at each other before looking back at Dave and nodding, the four of them following Terezi through the thick bush. 

For the next several hours Dave and the others trekked through the bush, Jade taking the lead after Terezi started to lead them in a circle again. Jade kept them going in a straight line, doing her best to find the safest root around massive fallen trees and gullies. After about 2 or 3 hours (there being no clear way of telling with no one carrying around a frickin grandfather clock) Dave looked up through the layers of leaves, spotting the sun nearly at noon, only slightly off by a few degrees, with maybe an hour or so to go. He knew it was still morning since he was still so damn tired (and since he didn’t eat lunch yet) and with the sun being slightly in front of them, a little bit to the right, Dave knew for the most part they were heading in the right direction. “You’re going to go blind staring at the sun.” Dave jumped slightly as he turned to Rose who had snuck up on him, a small smile on her lips. “I was just checking to see which direction we’re going, sheesh. Or would you rather we wonder to the coast and go swimming?” Rose’s smile grew slightly as she pretended to ponder it, “Hmmm that would be quiet lovely, though I suspect all you’d do while we’re there is stare at a shirtless and sunburnt John in wet shorts.” Dave wasn’t even thinking about that, but now that Rose said that he was doing his best to supress the heat rising to his cheeks and the possible boner he was about to get. Thank fuck John was up at the front fooling around with Jade, Terezi also ahead of them and out of earshot. He glared at Rose, who had a smug and knowing smirk on her face. “I’ll take it my assumption was spot on,” She said coyly. God Dave wanted to wipe that smug look off her face. “Whatever,” Dave said as he turned to look back at Jade and John, “I take it you didn’t just come over here to put images of hot ass John’s in my head now did you?”

Rose let out a small chuckle, “Well, no, I just came here to talk considering how quiet you have been since John went to talk with Jade an hour or so ago.” Dave rolled his eyes, waving Rose off, “I’ll have you know Lalonde that I am perfectly fine on my own. Why don’t you and Terezi go and talk about seer and girl stuff?” Rose scoffed at Dave. “I’ll have you know Strider that her and me did talk while at the Fairy kingdom, and we found that not only are our visions usually about something pertaining to our aspects, which are totally different from one another, but also that we have very little in common other than enjoying when we are able to mess with you.” Dave groaned, “Fantastic, I have two crazy ass seers who enjoy annoying the hell out of me.” Rose lightly hit Dave’s arm, “Oh don’t be so negative, I’ll let you know I am passive aggressive with everyone, so you are no special case.” Dave looked over at Rose, putting a hand over his heart and saying a in a mock hurt tone, “Ouch, that hurt. First you say you enjoy bugging me then say I’m not special, how cruel of you Lalonde.” Before Rose could make a snarky remark back at Dave Terezi froze in her tracks and yelled, “I SM3LL 4LOT OF FRU1T!!!!” Jade and John turned back, looking confusedly at Terezi. Dave and Rose also raised an eyebrow at Terezi, who had since started to franticly sniff the air, a giant grin on her face. “Uh, TZ, could you please elaborate.” Dave said as he crossed his arms, trying to sniff the air himself. Half-blood dragons’ five senses are usually a lot stronger than that of a normal humans, however Terezi’s hearing, smell, taste and touch sense’s have all being heightened due to her disability. But as Dave took in deep breathes through his nose he was surprised to catch the faint smell of citrus fruit. He was surprised Terezi didn’t pick up on it sooner. Jade and John tried sniffing the air only to look back at the two dragon half-bloods even more confused. “Dave and Terezi are part dragon, and therefore have better sight, hearing and smell receptors,” Rose said to the clueless Jade and John as she looked at Terezi and Dave, “and with Terezi’s sight no existent she relies more heavily on her other sense’s, meaning they’re far more advanced than even Dave’s, am I correct?” Dave nodded, “Spot on.” 

Terezi began running forward, past Jade and John off to where Dave assumed the smell was coming from. “COM3 ON!” Terezi shouted back as the four other’s ran to catch up to her, Dave pushing branching’s out of the way so he wouldn’t lose an eye, “TH3R3’S NOT GO1NG TO B3 4NY FR1UT 1N TH1S FOR3ST SO TH4T MUST M34N ON3 OF YOUR HUM4N RUN FRU1T GROW1NG PL4NTS 4R3 N34R BY!” She was right, there’s no way lemon or orange trees would be able to grow in this thick of a forest! Dave grabbed Rose’s hand and picked up the pace, pulling Rose along so that they were caught up with jade and John. “She’s right!” Dave panted as they ran under a fallen tree, “There must be a farm or plantation nearby!” John and Jade, who were a bit confused as to why Terezi bolted, soon brighten up, the two cousins picking up the pace along with Rose and Dave to catch up to Terezi. Within minutes the bush and tree’s began to lighten up until They broke through the last of the trees only to see rows upon rows of neatly planted, full grown lemon, apple, orange, lime and cherry trees fenced off by a tall, old, worn wooden fence that was falling apart. A small, bright red house and a larger farm of the same colour were at the opposite end of the plantation (which was probably about a mile long and wide) from Dave and the others, a lush, green valley behind it. Dave looked over to Terezi, who was obviously staring down the cherry Trees. “Tereziiii…” Dave warned when it looked like she was about to bolt to them, “First off, those aren’t yours so don’t fucking touch them, and second of all, if there are any human farmers here they wouldn’t want to see a completely red eyed girl with sharp teeth covered in red juice that looks like blood.” Terezi pouted, “W3LL TH3N TH3Y WOULDN’T W4NT TO S33 4 R3D 3Y3D BOY 31TH3R!!” Dave scoffed, “Which is why I’m going to wear my shades and why you should wear your weird red ones before you start munching on their cherries.” Terezi held her pout at she reached into her bag and pulled out her completely bright red almond shaped glasses and put them on while Dave pulled out his black aviators, putting them on and darkening the world around him. Man did he hate wearing these things. 

Terezi looked at Dave through her red glasses. “B3TT3R?” She asked impatiently. Dave nodded, “Yeah, but you still can’t eat their whole cherry orchard.” Terezi let out a sad sigh before she huffed, “F11111N3, 1 WON’T 34T 4LL OF 1T, BUT 1 W1LL H4V3 SOM3 D3L1C1OUS CH3RR13S!!!” Dave rolled his eyes as he walked past Terezi to climb over the worn fence, “Fine, just don’t upset these people.” After Dave climbed over the fence he was a gentlemen and helped Terezi, Jade and Rose over the fence, but when it came time to John climbing over the shoulder high fence (which was about as tall as Jade, John and Rose) Dave crossed his arms and looked at John, who was now straddling the fence and looking back at Dave expectantly. “Well?” John said, holding his hands out towards Dave, “Aren’t you going to help me down.” Dave smirked, “Nah, you’re a big boy Johnny, I was being polite and helping the ladies down. You can get down yourself… unless you’re saying you’re a lady.” It was John’s turn to cross his arms as he scowled at Dave, “Asshole.” Dave watched amusingly as John tried to maneuver himself to get down off the fence and failing miserably. Dave thought it was funny until John tried to climb down, the top wooden log which John was no longer straddling by sitting on, facing the group, snapped. John let out a surprised yelp as he fell forward, Dave having only seconds to react before John hit the ground, most likely breaking a bone in the process. Dave shot forward to where John was about to land, trying to catch John in the air. It worked, though Dave fell backwards on impact with John laying on top of him. 

John propped himself up on his elbows on either side of Dave, his face a few inches away from Dave’s as he said, “You’re an ass Dave.” Dave smirked up at John, “Thanks, I do try.” Terezi let out a long whistle, Jade saying through giggles, “Get a room!” Dave hadn’t realized the position John and him where in until they were cat called, John’s and Dave cheek’s heating up severely at the sudden realization. John scrambled up off of Dave while Dave scooting back away from John. John glared over at Jade while Dave glared at Terezi, both girls giving the boys a wink. John walked over to Jade all red faced, punching her in the shoulder, though she didn’t flinch and it only caused her to giggle harder. Dave sat up and brushed the dirt from his clothes as he continued the glare at the grinning Terezi. Between her and Rose Dave wasn’t sure if he’d survive this trip. “Come on,” Dave said annoyed by all the stares he was getting from Rose and Terezi, “Let’s head to that farm house and see if we can get any help.” Dave began walking through the space in-between the long rows of trees, the other following behind him with quiet laughs and snickers on the girls’ part. Terezi ended up running in front of Dave and taking the lead, her hands reaching up and plucking cherries off of the cherry trees whenever they went by one. John also migrated beside Dave while Rose and Jade stayed behind them, probably gossiping about them if the snickers he heard where anything to go by. “Hey…” John said quietly as he walked along side Dave. Dave hummed in response, letting John know to continue. “I just wanted to uh, say thanks for catching me and stuff back there, even if it WAS totally avoidable.” John said the last part with a grin and a nudge to Dave’s side. Dave looked back at John, a grin on his own face, “True, but I’ll let you know I like to piss people off-,” “Obviously.” “-so I’m not about to make it easy for you Egderp.” John pushed Dave playfully, “Wow, your so kind Dave.” Dave bumped John’s shoulder with his own, putting a hand over his heart, “Oh I know I am. I’m the kindest person around.” John chuckled, “And the cockiest.” Dave’s grin widen as he said “huh, thought you looked away when we’re changing.”

Dave grinned smugly as John’s cheeks, which were previously pink, turned red once more, his smile flattering. “I do though!” John said quickly to Dave, his voice on the verge of cracking. Dave raised an eyebrow at John. “You do look?” John shook his head vigorously, “No I don’t!!! And you knew what I meant by the cockiest you cocky asshole!” Dave let out a loud laugh as John weakly punched his shoulder, a large smile creeping its way onto Johns face. “WHO THE HELL IS OUT HERE??!” a scratchy voice yelled over Dave’s laughs. Dave immediately shut up and froze in his tracks, as did everyone else. Dave looked ahead of the group to see a small, John sized guy running towards them from the farm house (which wasn’t too far away now) in an oversized black sweater which had a brown belt tied around it at his waist and grey work pants which had holes at the knees. The guy had two grey sickles, one in each hand, and boy did he look PISSED. “WHO THE FUCK ARE ALL OF YOU?!” The guy said once he was about five tree’s away from Terezi, who was at the front of the group, eating a hand full of cherries, “AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU EATING MY CHERRIES?!!” John let out a small yelp when the guy looked at him as he began staring down each of the kids. Actually, since he was a lot closer now, Dave could see that the guy looked about John’s age. He had really pale skin with freckles and had grey bags under his tired looking eyes, which looked oddly red like Dave’s, though the colour was more dulled. The guy also had messy, white hair that looked un-kept, though, surprisingly, it looked a lot neater than Johns. He looked like an albino human, which was rare considering how Dave’s only seen one other albino human in all his life. When he was little a human scholar, who was also a priest, visited Derse to share some information with Redglare, and from what Dave saw, said human was greatly trusted by Terezi’s mother. Dave didn’t know what happened to the guy, but from what he’s heard he was killed at some point by some crazed clowns.

“I SAID, WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU NOOKWHIFFS?!” The guy said again, raising his sickles into a fighting position, ready to attack. “Hey, listen Mr. Sir-Yells-A lot,” Dave said as he stepped forward beside Terezi, “we don’t mean to trespass and shit, but we’re sort of lost.” The boy scowled at them, “UH, YEAH, NO SHIT YOUR TRESSPASSING. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOUR FRIEND IS FUCKING EATING MY LIVELY-HOOD!” Terezi shrugged, saying through a full mouth, “1 L1K3 CH3RR13S.” The guy looked so done. “YEAH WELL I LIKE CHERRIES TOO,” He said, stepping towards Terezi and the others, sickles still raised and his anger only growing as he began yelling louder, “BUT I’D RATHER SELL THEM THEN LET A WHOLE BUNCH OF FUCKING IDIOT NOOKWHIFFERS EAT THE CHERRIES AND OTHER SHIT I WORKED HARD TO FUCKING GROW!!” Before the guy could continue on his rant though an older looking guy began running through the orchard to them, shouting “Karkat wait!!! D9n’t d9 anything t9 them!! I had a visi9n!!! ” Dave looked over the angry little dudes shoulder towards the older looking one. The older one had white hair and reddish eyes like the younger one, only not as many freckles. He was also wearing a red sweater with a white belt tied around his waist along with a white cloak. He was wearing black pants that didn’t look as worn at ‘Karkat’s.” That was one weird name for a human. Karkat whipped his head around, turning around to the older one with a glare and scowl, “HOLY FUCKING JEGUS KANKRI! DON’T GO SAYING THAT SHIT WHEN TRESSPASSERS ARE AROUND!! YOU COULD GET FUCKING REPORTED AND KILLED!! WHY THE FUCK DON’T YOU WANT ME TO TEACH THESE BULDGE EATERS A LESSON ABOUT TRESSPASSING ON VANTAS PROPERTY AND EATING THEIR FUCKING CHERRIES?!” Kankri was still running toward them, “6ecause they-,” but before he could explain he got cut off abruptly as his eye’s began to shine a bright red, the older one dropping to his knees and holding his ears with a distraught expression on his face. Dave looked over at Terezi as she brought her own hands up to her ears, her eye’s shining bright red as she bared her fangs in pain. “Rose??!” John shrieked, causing Dave to look back at Rose, who was mimicking the older famers position, John and Jade looking worried as hell about Rose.

“KANKRI?!” Karkat shouted back worriedly when he saw his brother collapse to the ground, his eyes wide with fear and worry. “ARE YOU-,” Karkat was cut off by a loud, tortured scream that sounded distant in forest, a bright magenta light and beam shining up from the forest many miles in, the screams and the light growing in intensity as the seconds passed by. Everyone turned to look at the forest which was alit with magenta light, everyone except Terezi, Rose and Kankri, who all stared off into space with their glowing eyes and painful expressions. The magenta light, which was most likely some form of magic, was so bright that it slightly coloured the front of Dave pink when he turned to face the forest head on, the light so powerful that it looked to be shining light on anything over 10 miles away (the fairies’ and Arachni’s mountain, which was now visible over the tree line, also had a slight pink glow on its front side, showing just how bright said light was). Dave’s heart sank when he realized what that light was… it was Dirk’s magic. It brought back a horrifying memory of his brother which he always tries to forget. 

Even though Dave didn’t remember much from when he was very young, he did remember the day Dirk and him were told their parents were never coming back. The old messenger had came into the throne room to speak with redglare as Dave and Dirk played with Terezi and Latula in the middle of the room. Redglare had looked sad when she nodded to the messenger, who proceeded to approach them with an equally sad expression. With one look from their mother Latula and Terezi left the room, leaving Dave and Dirk to bear the news of their parents’ death without any friends nearby. Dirk was so upset and angry at the news he began to glow a pinkish colour as he glared up at the messenger who had brought the news. Redglare glanced over at the two boy and noticed something was wrong, but before she could act or stop Dirk he had held up his hands and sent unstable and hysteric magenta magic towards the messenger, who began letting out a shrill screams when Dirk yanked his hands back, screaming with tears running down his cheeks, “MY MOMMA AND POPPA AREN’T GONE! THEY AREN’T! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!!!” The only thing Dave remembered after that point was Dirk running up and crying at their father’s throne and a dead and burnt corpse of the messenger on the throne room floor. Redglare had been discreet about disposing the body of the poor messenger, not wanting the people to fear Dirk or his powers, though as Dirk grew up and became more distant from everyone and hot tempered, her efforts where in vain. Dave knew Dirk hadn’t used that magic since, knowing its destructive power and the fact he had to experience a strong emotion to even get a spark of it. This though… this was 10 times as bigger than the last time he used it, telling Dave that their group was in some serious shit. 

But just as the light and magic came, it vanished, and along with it the screams of the person Dirk was most likely ripping apart. Rose’s, Terezi’s and Kankri’s eyes all stopped glowing at the same time, all of their bodies relaxing before they collapsed forward. Dave quickly caught Terezi before she did a face plant into the hard ground while Jade helped Rose sit up as she rubbed her eyes and head. Karkat ran to Kankri to help him up, obviously freaked the fuck out. “OH MY GOD, KANKRI ARE YOU OK? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!” Kankri propped himself up on his hands, panting at he looked up to the teens, Rose and Terezi each sitting on the ground and rubbing their heads. Kankri peered over at the worried Karkat, a small smile on his face as he continued what he was going to say before he was interrupted by his seer abilities and Dirk’s magic. 

“6ecause these pe9ple, and the s9urce 9f that light, are 9ur 9nly h9pe 9f survival against the darkness which has awaken.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any one-shot or 2-3 chapter requests leave a comment!! (P.S. I don't do smut, my sister knows about this account XD)


	14. The Seer and Knight of Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's POV. John and his friends learn some things about the Vantas' and their powers before getting ready to head for the Temple of Breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Ok, I know that this is 3 days late, however, like I said before, I had been dealing with some personal problems. I also have been applying for some jobs and focusing on that as well as school work. And Shoveling over a foot of snow from my driveway hasn't helped me get this to you guys any fast. Once again I am so sorry that this is late, but I think the next few updates will be late too because I have a cosplay ball thing coming up in my town and I'm preparing a cosplay for it, so that will also be taking up my time. BUT I WILL NEVER STOP WRITTING THIS FIC, THATS A PROMISE!!! The updates will just be a little late for the next month or so. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!! ^W^
> 
> (P.S. I will be having a lot of side relationships, one which includes Karkat. So I need you guys to vote in the comments for Jade/Kat or Terezi/Kat. Thank you!)

“W9uld y9u like m9re lem9n leaf tea Mr. Eg6ert?” “Uh, sure! Also you can call me John!”

So far today had been an eventful day. One second John and his friends are lost in the woods, the next they’re in an orchard with a small shout-y guy about ready to kick their butts, and then they’re in said shout-y guy’s home with shout-y guy and a very polite guy! Not to mention what happened to poor Rose and Terezi and the very polite guy, who is shout-y guys older brother. John slightly frowned, realizing he really should be referring to his two new (sort of) friends by their names instead of shout-y guy and very polite guy. Very shout-y guy, who was grumbling to himself at the very nice redwood table everyone was sitting at was named Karkat, and boy was he confused when the very polite guy, Kankri, invited John and his friends back to their farm house. So far Kankri has busied himself offering tea to everyone, the only two refusing it being Terezi, who now had a whole frickin basket of cherries at her feet, and Karkat, who was becoming impatient. Kankri told Karkat he’d explain everything later, however for the past half an hour Kankri had done everything BUT explain everything to Karkat, and when John tried to explain somethings to Karkat he held up his hand and said (practically shouting), “NO, MY BROTHER WILL EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON. I DON’T WANT AN EXPLANATION FROM MAGIC FUCKING CHERRY THEIVES.” Since then John, and everyone else, hasn’t bothered to try and talk to him, Dave calling him a grumpy asshole under his breath. Rose, Jade and Terezi were on one side of the large redwood table, John and Dave on the other with a seat between them and the side of the table that Karkat was sitting at. Kankri had just gone to make John some more (very delicious) lemon leaf tea, which obviously was pissing Karkat off even more. 

“OH MY FUCKING JEGUS,” Karkat grumbled as he tapped his fingers impatiently off of the table, “HE’S STALLING, I FUCKING KNOW IT THAT ASSHOLE. HE CAN GET ALL YOU FUCKERS TEA AFTER HE EXPLAINS TO ME WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED WITH THAT WEIRD ASS GLOWING LIGHT AND WHY THE FUCK WERE OFFERING CHERRY THEIVES TEA.” Terezi grinned at Karkat, her teeth red from the cherries she had been eating none stop. “OH DON’T B3 SO N3G4T1V3 MR. GROUCHY RUMP! 4ND 1F YOU D1DN’T H34R YOUR BROTH3R, W3’R3 YOUR L4ST HOP3 OF SURV1V4L!” Karkat glared at Terezi, “I COULD CARE LESS WHAT YOU ARE! YOU’RE EATING MY CHERRIES THAT TOOK ME A WHOLE FUCKING YEAR TO GROW AND TAKE CARE OF!! THESE CALLOUSES ON MY HANDS DIDN’T JUST FUCKING APPEAR OVER NIGHT YOU DUMBASS!” Terezi’s grin widen as she took a handful of cherries from the basket at her feet, shoving said handful into her mouth. She said through a mouthful of cherries, “W3LL YOU SHOULD B3 HONOUR3D TH4T 1’M 34T1NG YOUR D3L3CT4BL3 CH3RR31ES! WH3N 1’M OLD3R 1’M GO1NG TO B3 4 ROY4L JUST1C3 4DV1SOR FOR MY K1NGDOM, 4ND TH3R3FOR3, 1’LL H4V3 CON3CT1ON’S W1TH TH3 K1NGS 4ND QU33NS OF TH3 L4ND!!” Karkat’s sour expression immediately turned to confusion and curiosity, and, if John was right, possibly excitement. “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT A FUCKING MOMENT!” Karkat said as he stood up, slamming his hand on the table and pointing to Terezi in disbelief, “YOUR TELLING ME THAT YOU, A MAGIC FUCKING CHERRY THEIF, ARE IN TRAINING TO BECOME A ROYAL ADVISOR FOR A FUCKING KINGDOM?” Terezi nodded as she popped another Cherry in her mouth. “AAAAND BECAUSE OF THAT YO’RE GOING TO HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER ADVISORS AND KINGS AND SHIT?” Dave rolled his eyes, “Well considering that the key to a good kingdom is communication I would think she needs to be in a loop Karkles.” “Karkles… pfffft,” John giggled under his breath to the smirking Dave. Leave it to Dave to come up with the nicknames. 

That nickname, however, earned Dave a scowl from Karkat. “WELL FUCK YOU TOO YOU ARROGANT PRICK!” Dave tsked Karkat, “Now, now Karkles, that’s no way to talk to a prince.” Karkat gapped at Dave before he turned to John, “IS THIS NOOK SUCKER SERIOUS?” John nodded and grinned, “Yep! And I DID try to explain some stuff to you, like how Terezi and Dave here are half-Dragon and Dave is a prince of their kingdom!” “THEY’RE WHAT???!!” Karkat shouted as he jumped back and looked between Terezi and Dave, “THESE ARROGANT PRICKS ARE PART DRAGON??!!” Terezi out as she let out a cackling laugh, “W3 SUR3 4R3 GROUCHY BUTT H3H3H3H3!” Karkat, obviously having trouble dealing with this new information, took in several deep breaths to calm himself down before he sat down at the table, looking back and forth at Terezi and Dave still. “OK…. OK…. SO ARROGANT PRICK IS NOT JUST AN ARROGANT PRICK,” he said, pointing to Dave, “HE’S A ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS, AND THE GIRL EATING MY FUCKING CHERRIES IS HIS ROYAL ADVISOR,” he turned, pointing to Terezi, “AND BOTH OF THESE ASSHOLES ARE PART DRAGON… FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE.” Karkat put his face in his hands and let out an overdramatic, exasperated sigh. Jade tried to give Karkat a reassuring smile,“Don’t worry Karkat, Dave and Terezi aren’t so bad! Sure, Dave makes some weird innuendos sometimes and Terezi may be eating your cherries, but they are really nice people once you get to know them!”

Before anyone could say anything else Kankri entered the room with a black and white tea pot filled with lemon leaf tea, causing everyone to turn and look at him as he moved around the table, filling up everyone’s glasses (except Terezi and Karkats, who didn’t want anymore). After that he sat down across from his annoyed brother, taking a sip of his tea before sighing contently. This, however, was enough to make Karkat snap. He stood up, motioning towards all of John’s group while yelling, “OKIE FUCKING DOKIE, YOU’VE STALLED FOR THE PAST FUCKING HALF AN HOUR WITHOUT TELLING ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON AND I WANT ANSWERS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!! THESE FUCKERS ARE PART DRAGON AND NOT ONLY IS THIS ONE,” he pointed to Dave, “A PAIN IN THE ASS, HE’S A ROYAL PAIN IN THE FUCKING ASS, LITERALLY!!! YOU BETTER START EXPLAINING SHIT TO ME, I’M ALL EARS KANKRI, ALL FUCKIGN EARS.” Karkat sat down in his seat, crossing his arms, glaring at his brother, who was still sipping the tea. When Kankri finished his tea he sighed sadly, looking up at Karkat with eyes that looked a lot more tired than what they were before, causing Karkat to relax and instead have a slightly look of concern for his brother. “I supp9se there is al9t 9f explaining t9 d9…,” Kankri began, looking around the room, “theres just s9 much I want t9 explain t9 y9u Karkat… just s9, s9 much…” 

“We Vantas’ c9me fr9m a l9ng and n96le line 9f 6lessed 6l99d seers, usually with the eldest in the family receiving the p9wers, such as myself. The 9ther siblings’ w9uld usually end up being pr9ud warri9rs 9r n96les who use their p9wers t9 unit pe9ple. 9ur 6l99dline was 6lessed 6y the g9ddess 9f light, Calli9pe, due t9 9ut ancest9rs service t9 her and her allies. 9ur great grandfather was pr9bably the greatest Vantas s9 far. He was called the sufferer, and he was a great warri9r wh9 helped the mythical creatures in the fight against the dark 9ne, Calib9rn. 9ur father, wh9 was named the Signless, was a 6l99d seer, and due to our blessed bloodline, he had had an extended life. 9ur entire 6l99dline has this 6lessing, th9ugh b9th 9ur father and great grandfather were struck d9wn by Calib9rns henchman, making their extended life null…” Kankri paused, taking in a deep breath to stop himself from crying before he continued, “9ur father, even th9ugh he appeared y9ung, was much 9lder than any 9ther human. He was present f9r Calib9rns d9wn fall, and he was the same seer, 9r sch9lar, wh9 deciphered why Calib9rn had changed his name t9 l9rd English. Sadly, after the war with humans and the death 9f the half-6l99d drag9ns king and queen, 9ur father was n9 l9nger welc9med t9 the drag9n’s kingd9m, 9r any 9ther creatures kingd9m f9r that matter, and theref9re he decided t9 instead preach peace 6etween the races. When Karkat was very y9ung, and when I was just 6arely 10 years 9ld, 9ur father, as well as the rest 9f 9ur 6l99dline, were killed by s9me insane juggil9’s w9rking f9r l9rd English. With magic 6eing 6anned and 9ur lives 9n the line I had started this 9rchard with the m9ney left t9 us fr9m 9ur father while supressing my seer a6ilitys t9 the fullest extent s9 9ur l9cati9n w9uld n9t be given away. H9wever, when Karkat was c9nfr9nting y9u, I had had a visi9n ab9ut y9ur gr9up which caused me t9 try and st9p my 6r9ther fr9m harming y9u…,” Kankri looked up at his brother with tired eyes, “I h9pe y9u can f9rgive me f9r lying t9 y9u Karkat, I never meant t9 trigger y9u.” 

The room was silent, Karkat gaping at his brother while the others sat uncomfortably in the silence, John knowing that this must be a huge bomb shell for Karkat. Sort of like how John’s dad knew about his powers. For John THAT was surprising, though the information given to Karkat is probably a lot harder to swallow. Everyone seem to know to keep quiet, all except Terezi. She let out a loud gasp after she processed the information full, a huge grin on her face. “SO 1F YOUR TH3 S1GNL3SS’ CH1LDR3N YOU H4V3 TH3 B1ND1NG OF BLOOD WH1CH GR4NTS YOU YOUR 4B1L1T13S!!!! OR, IN MOR3 S1MPL3 T3RMS FOR 4LL OF YOU HUM4NS, YOUR 4SP3CTS 4R3 BLOOD!!!!” Karkat looked at Terezi with a slight scowl, “AND WHAT DOES A BLOOD ASPECT FUCKING MEAN??? IF YOU COULDN’T ALREADY TELL I KNOW SHIT FUCKING ALL ABOUT THIS MAGIC SHIT!” Dave faced palmed, sighing, “It fucking means that your grouchy ass and your brother are the remaining humans for the fucking prophecy… just peachy.” Before Karkat could yell at Dave, probably about the prophecy, Rose cleared her throat and said calmly, “The prophecy states that there are 7 human’s which accompany the half-blood species on their quest to stop Lord English. One of light,” she points to herself, “One of breath,” She points to John, “One of space,” Jade, “one of life, one of Hope,” she holds up two fingers, John knowing that they represent Jake and Jane, “and two or blood.” She points with two fingers at Karkat and Kankri. “Siblings with the same aspect, such as you both, each have unbalanced power sets, usually with one child being a seer and the other a knight, though some have different aspects with unequal power sets as well. One siblings will be more magically gifted, such as our friend Terezi,” Rose motioned to a grinning Terezi, “who is a seer of mind, while the other siblings will be more physically inclined, though they will still possess abilities related to their aspect, such as Latula, Terezi’s older sister, who is a knight of mind. If what I am hearing is correct, then you two are the last humans to join our party, Kankri being the more magically gifted, while you, Karkat, are more physically gifted.” Damn she knew a lot of stuff. 

Kankri gave her a small smile, “That is exactly what I saw in my visi9n, use helping y9u all, which is why I didn’t want Karkat t9 harm y9u.” “WAIT A FUCKING SECOND,” Karkat said as he rubbed his temples with his eye’s scrunched tight and his teeth bared, the poor guy probably having a headache from all this, “SO IF IM HEARING MY BROTHER AND YOU NOOK SUCKERS RIGHT, WE’RE PART OF SOME BIG ASS PROPHECY TO STOP A EVIL FUCKER NAMED LORD ENGLISH AND YOU ALL HAVE SOME SORT OF POWER AND I HAVE A FUCKIGN POWER THAT I KNOW SHIT ALL ABOUT?” Dave nodded, “Yep, that’s pretty much sums it up Karkles.” “MY NAME’S NOT FUCKING KARKLES YOU BULDGE HEAD!” John held back a laugh, him and Dave high fiving under the table. John did feel bad about riling up Karkat, but he reminded John too much of a pissed off kitten, which was not frightening and just a puffball of hair. “ANYWAYS, DO I HAVE SOME WEIRD ASS POWERS OR NOT? IT’S A SIMPLE AS HELL QUESTION.” Rose nodded, “You do, though to what extend I am not sure. David and his brother appear to have very matched power sets, both of them being strong and gifted with magic, while Terezi and her sister have very different power sets, so you and your brother are a wild card.” John noticed at the corner of his eye that Dave, who had been previously smirking and chuckling, was now stoic and tense. “Hey,” Dave said, worry leaking through even though he was obviously trying to hide it, “would any of you seers know if… if my bro and the others are ok? Because Damn… I’ve never seen him use his powers since we were small.” He peered up at Terezi, who gave him a sad nod, her relaxed domineer now tense. 

“They are alright, d9n’t w9rry,” Kankri said as he stood with the tea pot, pouring Terezi and Dave some more tea. “HOW DO YOU KNOW TH4T TH3Y’R3 4LR1GHT CH3RRY T34?” Terezi asked as she examined her drink, obviously debating whether to drink it or eat more cherries. “I kn9w that they are 6ecause when that 6right light appeared and we seer’s had 9ur visi9ns, I saw the rest 9f y9u c9mpani9ns uin the future, 6eaten up 6ut still str9ng. F9r th9se 9f y9u wh9 d9n’t kn9w, we seers d9n’t see everything, we just see what pertains t9 9ur aspect…” Kankri said, looking towards Rose and Terezi. “I saw y9ur 9lder siblings because they were a part 9f y9ur team, and the aspect 9f bl99d represents unity and trust, like a 69nd 9f 6l99d 9r that metaph9r ‘6l99d 6r9thers’.” Rose tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking for a few moments before saying, “Hmm, yes that would explain why you Vantas’ would be considered nobles and warriors who united lands.” She paused before sighing, “The vision that I had was not of our friends, but of the Temple that we are heading to, the Temple of Breath. Unlike the Temple of Doom, which the other half of our party is heading to, the Temple of Breath appears to be a completed, well taken care of temple and not mere ruins and dust. However this leads me to believe that when we go there we will not be alone, and that we may have to face whoever has taken care of this temple in order to get to the Horn of Breath.” 

“Horn of Breath?” John asked confusedly because a horn??? Wouldn’t it be another well like the Well of Light??” Rose smirked, “Yes Johnathan, a Horn, one which one of us, presumably you, will have to blow in order to reveal its hidden secret.” “Wait, why me?!” John said, pointing to himself, “Why not you or Dave or Terezi? Why does it have to be me?” Rose Tsked at John, making John cross him arms and (totally not) pout, “Have more faith in yourself John, and besides, your aspect is breath, and we are heading to the Temple of Breath, so it is most logical that you blow the horn.” Dave frowned, “Well if that’s the case why didn’t you drink from that pond of visions or whatever?” John snorted, “Oh my god Dave it’s the Well of Light, not ‘Pond of Visions’!” Dave tried to look annoyed at John for correcting him, but the small smirk on Dave’s face made John new he was holding back a grin. “Yeah yeah whatever Egderp,” Dave said while waving his hand dismissively before turning to Rose again, “Anyways, why didn’t you drink from that?” “I didn’t drink from it because Jake had to. I had had a vision telling me to let Jake drink from it, and therefore I listened and allowed him. I suspect if I were to drink from it we would not have seen the temples.” Dave crossed his arms, “But what if John’s annoying ass windy powers get better from blowing the horn and that’s the reward for blowing the horn? Wouldn’t that mean you lost out on improving your powers?” The way Rose smirked sent an uneasy chill down John’s spine, and from what he could see it caused the hairs on Dave’s arms and neck to stand on end as he kept a stoic expression. Jade’s ears went flat against her head and she scooted a bit further away from Rose, Karkat also looking deathly scared of her, which for a guy who constantly yells and swears, is surprising. However Kankri and Terezi were grinning like noting was wrong, making it look like Rose currently wasn’t smiling like she had just murdered someone. “Oooh dear David,” Rose cooed while keeping that dark glint in her eyes, “I’m so flattered that you care about me learning and improving my skills like a mother hen would, however, as a person who had practiced her abilities since she was 3, I have learned other ways to improve my powers. Roxy’s mother, Mrs. Lalonde, has also shown me more ways of getting in touch with my aspect as well as… my mentors….” John gulped, so THAT’S why Rose is smiling like that.

“YOUR MENTORS? WHO THE FUCK ARE THEY AND WHY THE EVER LOVING FUCK ARE YOU SMILING LIKE AN INSANE BITCH?!” Karkat practically shouted as he stared at Rose with Terror filled eyes, which, consider who Rose was talking about, was a reasonable reaction. Rose hummed as she turned to look at Karkat, “My mentor’s would be the Horror Terror’s which reside in the Void. They would visit me in my dreams when I was younger and teach me to use my powers, and,” She glanced at Dave, “The dark powers which Roxy’s mother was able to call upon derive from the horror Terrors.” “HOLY FUCK, HORROR TERRORS? AREN’T THOSE FUCKING MONSTERS IN OLD LORE?” Dave nodded towards Karkat, “I agree with loud mouth over there, you talked to giant fucking tentacle monsters when you were 3?” Rose let out a small laugh, “Well if you put it that way it sounds rather odd, but yes, they were the one’s which showed me my powers and helped me hone them like a teacher with their student.” John grimaced just thinking about those monsters, they always scared him when he was a kid. As the other continued to talk and discuss the prophecy and Rose’s weird teachers John began to recollect on his past experience with Rose’s “Mentors”. He had had a few nightmares with giant monster who tried to communicate with him when his powers first started appearing, however they had stopped abruptly one day. Actually, when John looked back on it, he realized that the same day those nightmares stopped it was the same day he had told Rose about them at the bakery when she came by for her usual pastry rolls. He vaguely remembers her saying something along the lines of “I’ll take care or it” or “Don’t worry, they will stop soon,” or something to that effect. It was a few years after that Rose told John about these creatures and that her weird “practices” that he saw her doing were to communicate to them. All in all it had freaked the hell out of poor John.

John was snapped out of his flash back by Jade rising out of her seat and slamming her hands on the table as she grinned, “Then it’s settled!! You two can come with us to the Temple of breath were we’ll face down some monster and John will blow a horn!” Karkat scowled at her, “AND WHO THE FUCK SAID I WAS GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU YOU BULDGE EATING IDIOT?” Now, Karkat had been referring to everyone as nook suckers or some weird ass insult, but now he had directed it directly at Jade, who had never been spoken to like that before. Oh god I hope Jade doesn’t cry, John grimaced as Jade slowly turned her head towards Karkat with a slightly shocked expression. But Jade’s reaction wasn’t like anything John expected. Her white wolf ears flattened against her head and she bared her teeth angrily at Karkat, “I said so you motherfucker! Now get off your high ass horse and start getting ready to come with me and my friends to that temple before I kick your butt!!” Jade said that so seriously and angrily Karkat stared wide eyed at her for a few moments before he stood from his chair, turned on his heels, and began to walk out of the kitchen past John and Dave, John hearing Karkat mumble under his breath, “THOSE GIRLS ARE FUCKING INSANE...” Kankri was soon to follow Karkat out of the kitchen to pack. 

Within the next hour, and with some more “encouraging” words from Jade, Karkat and Kankri were packed and ready to go. As they packed Rose had suggested that they changed into warmer clothes so that when night comes they would already be is warm enough clothes that they could kept n traveling if Dave or Terezi saw fit. The girls had went out into the barn next to the house while the boys had stayed and changed inside the house in the living room. John had changed into a light blue, short sleeved tunic with warm dark blue trousers, yellow wool boots and gloves and a sky blue cloak with an elongated hood. Dave Changed into a long sleeved, red, royal jacket with light red pants, a deep crimson cloak and round hood and black/grey knee high boots and gloves. When Kankri and Karkat descended the stairs with their bags and supplies Karkat was wearing a light brown tunic with black pants, a dark brown cloak and dark purple work boots and gloves. Kankri was wearing a similar outfit, only his tunic was a long robe, his cloak only went around his shoulders and he had no gloves on. When all of the boys exited the house the girls were sitting down on the small wooden porch waiting for them, the sun starting to dip in the sky. Rose was wearing a long robe like Kankri, only hers was orange with a violet sash around her waist. She also had a dark orange hooded cloak that draped over her shoulders and warm, bright blue flat shoes. Jade had her black dress on with her grey and white striped leggings, though this time she had red boots on and a light grey cloak that went to her feet with an elongated hood like John’s (only hers now had ear holes for her wolf ears). Terezi, on the other hand, had a short sleeved green shirt on, a medium hooded dark green cloak, and some grass green pants with knee high magenta boots and long magenta gloves. “Took you dorks long enough!” Jade jokingly scolded as she stood up from her seated postion, “We got a lot of walking to do!”

With that John’s friends and their two new arrivals began to walk down the rocky path, away from the orchard and house, out into the vast valley, Karkat, Jade and Terezi all talking (yelling) at each other while Kankri and Rose hung behind, leaving John and Dave in the middle of their mixed match group of adventures. John was about to turn to Dave to comment on his royal outfit (which looked really nice on him) when Karkat shouted “ARE ALL GIRLS THIS FUCKING CRAZY?!” causing both John, Dave and the two girls bugging Karkat to burst out laughing. Dave turned to John chuckling, “This is going to be one damn long trip ain’t it Egderp?”

John nodded, trying not to snort with his laughs as he said, “Yeah, it’s definitely going to be interesting that’s for sure!”


	15. What did Dirk just try to do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake's POV. He has a nightmare *cough* visionofthefuture *cough* and Jake get mad at his friends for treating him like a child. Dirk runs off, Jake goes to find him, and a ship nearly sails ;P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Ok, I do know a lot of the chapter's I've been posting lately have been short compared to my other ones, however I have a lot on my plate ATM and I'm doing my best. I want you guys to know you're all awesome and that I'm so thankful to have your support! I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter!

Jake was running, frantic and scared shitless.

Everything was blurring around him, the bodies, and the corpses of all these knights, soldiers and innocent people as the town around him burned to ashes. He couldn’t remember why he was running, but all he knew was that if he stopped, he would be dead. Just as he saw a bit of hope, his friends in thick armour and rune carved robes standing at the edge of the city, fighting off ghastly figures, a building fell in his path, sending a wall of flame between him and his friends. It was then he realized why he had been running. The ground shook as the horrible, monstrous creature that was chasing him grew more near, and with each tremor Jake felt closer to death. He turned around when he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end, his gold plated armour clanking and creaking with the movement. He looked up towards the dark, smoke filled sky, up towards the hulking monsters multi-coloured eyes, and up into said monsters soul, which was black as tar and filled with hatred and vile. The creature was blurry for him and was fuzzy other than for the vibrant eyes, but for some reason he was shaking like he saw a horrendous thing. He began to shout, but he couldn’t hear himself, he couldn’t understand himself, and he couldn’t control himself. Without his consent he drew his dual pistols, which looked new and shinier, and pointed them towards the creature, weird runes glowing gold and white along the pistols barrel. His shouts grew louder, though he couldn’t hear them himself, and the monster grew angry. He began to shoot, and the rest was a blur of movement. The last thing he remembered was being held up in the air by said monsters enormous claws, his armour torn, ripped and covered in his own blood, with someone’s… a woman’s… shouting growing closer.

“It’s yoUr time to die brother, not his!”

 

Jake awoke in that moment, a shout escaping his throat as he thrashed about violently. He covered in sweat, and only when he was being shaken and pinned down by someone did he snap out of his horrified trance. He soon found himself looking up into golden-orange eyes, pinned down by the stronger boy above, who had a shocked expression on his face. Jake also noticed a giant bruise on Dirk’s left side, on his jaw, and found that he, himself, had a sore knuckle on his right hand. Oh good golly GOSH he hoped that wasn’t from him! Dirk loosened his grip on Jakes hands when Jake began to look around the room to see a tossed over lap and the covers, which were previously on the bed, now halfway across the floor, with the girls and the man called Renegade standing at the door, watching the scene unfold. “Hey,” Dirk’s concerned and steady voice drew Jake’s attention back towards him, Jake once again looking up at those wonderful eyes, “Are you ok…?” Jake nodded, his voice quiet as he said, “Um, yes I believe so…” Dirk held eye contact with Jake for a brief moment before he sighed and let go of Jake’s wrists, moving far enough back that Jake was able to prop himself up on his elbows while Dirk straddled Jakes legs. Jake then sat up fully, supporting himself with his left hand as he brought his other one up to Dirk’s dark purple bruised jaw, Dirk slightly flinching at the touch. “Did I… Did I do this to you?” Jake asked, his voice quiet and sad as he looked at the mark on Dirk face. Dirk gave Jake a small smirk as he grabbed Jake’s hand on his jaw and held it there, “Well I’d be lying if I said no. So yeah, you did deck me a god one while you were flipping the fuck out. But trust me, I’ve been hit harder in worse areas.” Jake grimaced at the thought of when he nailed Dirk in the crotch back in the blasted humanoid spider’s cave. THAT looked like it had really hurt… 

Dirk squeezed Jakes hand, “Plus I’m not really too worried about me right now, I’m worried about you. Are you sure you’re alright??” He had already told Dirk he was, so why was he asking again?? Jake nodded determinedly, “Yes I am Strider. I already said I was!” Dirk narrowed his eyes at Jake, saying accusingly, “Buuuut you hesitated and weren’t sure, so that doesn’t really count.” Jake pulled his hand back from Dirk’s, Jake ignoring the slightly hurt look on Dirk’s face as he crossed his arms and frowned, “Ballocks Strider! I still said I was ok, didn’t I?” Jane and Roxy walked over to the two, Roxy putting a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Hun, Dirky’s right. You were puttin up a damn good fight when Dirk tried to wake ya after you started screaming bloody murder. You, like, woke up everyone in a fucking mile radius!” Jane nodded in agreement, “They’re right Jake, you’re obviously NOT ok and I will not just stand around while you deny it!” OH FOR THE LOVE OF-!!!!! Jake couldn’t remember shit about his dream, so being interrogated like this was futile. “This is all so fucking frustrating!” Jake growled as he flailed his arms about to express his frustration, “First I’m woken up by being shaken and pinned down by Dirk in a bloody daze, then I’m interrogated over a nightmare and treated like a child! It’s all so flabbergasting irritating!!” Jake rubbed his eyes in frustration, groaning, “I can’t even remember the damn dream I had, it’s all a frickin blur to me! And being treated like a baby over something I can’t even remember is so bloody stupid!” Jake looked back up at his friends, Jane giving him a sad look, while Roxy gave him a shocked one, Dirk’s hurt expression still in place, causing Jake to feel guilty for snapping at his friends. 

“Oh fiddle sticks,” Jake sighed, exhausted and tired from the restless sleep, “I’m so, so sorry for barking at you all. I know you’re all trying to help me, but…” Jake trailed off, not sure of how to say it. “But…?” Dirk said, his voice even, though Jake could still hear the anger and the upset tone that Dirk was trying so hard to hide. “… but I think it’d be best if I was left alone and given some space my friends...” Jake finished weakly. Everyone was quiet, a long, heavy silence hung in the air, everyone looking at the guilty and sheepish Jake. That is, until Dirk began to shuffle off Jake’s legs and the bed. “Ok,” Dirk said, his voice still laden with anger and venom, “We’ll leave you alone. C’mon Rox and Jane.” Dirk turned around and walked straight out of the room, past the others at the door, without so much as looking back. Roxy and Jane were both hesitant to follow, but they did, realizing the hovering over Jake would just make it worse. Soon everyone but Latula had left, leaving Jake curled up on the bed, his mind in turmoil. Why was he so mean to them??? They were just trying to help! But they also were hovering over him and not giving him space! He can’t even remember the dream at all, so there’s no point in worrying over someone he can’t even remember! He went back in forth like this in his head until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Latula giving him a small smile. “h3y, m1nd 1f w3 t4lk?” At this point Jake doesn’t want to argue, so he shrugs. That apparently was the “all clear” for Latula.

“Ok, so 1 know 3v3ryon3 w4sn’t g1v1ng you 3nough sp4c3, 4nd 1 know you prob4bly w4nt to b3 l3ft 4lon3. But 1 w4nt to 4sk you som3th1ng.” Latula sighed, “C4n you go t4lk to d1rk? H3’s r34lly ups3t r1ght now 4nd-,” “I know he’s upset! I heard it in his voice even though he was trying to hide it,” Jake interrupted, shoving his face in his hands, “and I know I was the one who did it, but why was me asking for some space getting him so riled up??” Latula gave Jake a sad smile, “B3c4us3 h3 f3lt th4t h3 w4s g3tt1ng clos3 to you, m4k1ng 4 good fr13nd. Most of th3 p3opl3 h3’s c4r3d 4bout h4v3 l3ft h1m, 4nd 1 th1nk h3’s t4k1ng you w4nt1ng sp4c3 4s you g3tt1ng s1ck of h1m 4nd w4nt1ng out of th3 fr1n3ndsh1p. So 1 w4nt you to t3ll h1m oth3rw1s3! You th1nk you c4n do 1t bro?” Jake felt the guild in his chest over flow. He didn’t mean to make Dirk think that!!! Oh bloody hell he’s messed up. “Oh shucks, well you bet my pistols I’m going to tell him otherwise! I’d never want Dirk to believe that!” “Th3n g3t your 4ss 1n g34r 3ngl1sh 4nd g3t to 1t!” Jake hoped out of bed and dashed down the hall, out of the Tavern/inn and into the dark streets. Golly it was still dark out, and bloody cold! Jake slowed his pace down to a stroll as he walked down the dark streets, rubbing at his arms to keep the slight chill away. Oh hell, this town may be tiny, but Dirk sure knows how to hide! What a dingus! Jake looked around the Tavern, hoping maybe Dirk hadn’t gone far. But as luck would have it, Dirk was nowhere near the tavern. 

Jake continued to walk around the small town, through the worn, muddy streets and the early morning air, the sun just starting to change the sky a slight violet to orange on the horizon. He checked behind houses, barrels, and in wrenched alleyways full of piss and other awful substances. Jake started to worry about Dirk, thinking maybe Dirk ran off to who knows where. Oh that would be awful! He quickened his pace as he marched up to the town square where a small, cobble fountain stood in front of the town hall, which had brown bricks lining the walls and nice, white stone columns holding up the black tiled roof. Jake had searched the whole bloody town, from the back alleys and the open streets, with no trace of Dirk, so if he was not here, he was not anywhere. Jake searched around the fountain and inside the town hall, where a short man with brown clothes and back hair stood, his mayoral sash reading “mayor” with the R in red, was designing a new lay out for the town using old soup cans. Jake quickly helped said mayor pick up some fallen cans before retreating back outside into the brisk air of dawn, his shoulders dropping and his face set in a frown. Dirk, one of Jake’s best friends, was gone… 

A single, orange feather drifted down from the sky, landing on Jake’s head before tumbling down his front. “An orange feather…?” Jake whispered curiously under his breath as he picked up said feather, “I didn’t know there were any orange birds nearby! But my golly, this is a huge fricken feather for a feeble bird!” Jake looked up to the sky to see if he could spot the humongous bird which this feather belonged to, only to see a sulking Dirk, in his full form, up on the roof of the bell tower on the city hall. AH-HA! There’s his ol’chap Dirk! Jake ran back inside the town hall, careful not to topple over any of the Mayors cans laid across the floor. He quickly found the stairs to the bell tower and rushed up them, only to stop at the hatch leading to the roof. What the frickaty frack was he going to say to poor Dirk?! Jake took a deep breath, knowing that he would just have to wing it! He slowly opened the rickety hatch, climbed up onto the floor of the bell tower, and quietly shut the hatch so that he wouldn’t alert Dirk. He didn’t want to scare him away to who knows where. He carefully peered over the small, waist height wall of the bell tower, over to Dirk, who was facing the other way, towards the rising sun. Perfect.

Jake carefully climbed over the wall, careful not to fall off the high roof as he quietly made his way over to Dirk. “What do you want English? I thought you wanted some ‘space’.” Dirk said, annoyed, not looking away from the sun as it rose from the horizon and painted the sky bright oranges, purples and pinks. Huh, maybe he wasn’t as stealthy as he thought. Jake immediately straightened up and walked the rest of the way to Dirk, sitting down beside the half-dragon boy. “I’m… I’m here to apologize,” Jake started, turning to Dirk, “I never meant to hurt your feelings, or anyone’s for that matter. I know I was being total numbskull, and I know I wanted some space, but that gave me no right to be ungentlemanly and rude to my friends!” Dirk was silent, Jake’s chest becoming tight as he looked away from the stoic Dirk, out to the sun, which was taking the place of the moon and painting the sky colours as the stars disappeared. “I…,” Jake continued with a whisper, “I was wondering… if you still considered me a best bro….” Dirk looked away from the sun rise towards the sadden Jake, obviously contemplating someone in that noggin of his. “Hell English,” Dirk sighed, rubbing at his eyes, “I’m not about to fucking dump you as a bro just cause you were being bitchy this morning.” Dirk smirked, messing up Jake’s hair, “Do you KNOW how many times Dave was a whiny asshole in the mornings? Trust me, your little fit was nothing compared to his.” Jake’s hand came up to playfully swat away Dirk hand, a huge grin on his face as he looked at those lovely golden-orange eyes and light blond hair. However, before he could express how happy he was that he and Dirk were still “best bros”, a single question ran through his mind, causing his gleeful grin to drop. “Well if that’s the case my good friend…” Jake began confusedly as the smirking Dirk brought his hand away from the emerald eyed boy’s hair, “Why did you sound so hurt when you left? And why did you come here to… well… sulk?” 

Dirk visibly tensed before relaxing, an odd habit of his whenever he’s caught off guard, Jake knowing this by the few times he’s surprised Dirk. “First off,” Dirk began, crossing his arms at Jake, “I was NOT sulking. A Strider doesn’t fucking sulk.” Jake crossed his own arms, “Like heck you weren’t Strider! You were pouting!” “I do not pout of fucking sulk!” Dirk retorted, starting to get agitated. Jake, not wanting to rile Dirk up, waved his hands around in the air, “Alright, alright, fine, you were not sulking! You were brooding.” Before Dirk could butt in, Jake continued, “So why did you sound so hurt when I told you I wanted to be left alone??” Dirk’s mouth clamped shut as he adverted his eyes from Jake, thinking. Finally, after what felt like forever, Dirk sighed, “…You wouldn’t understand Jake.” That, however, was a sorry excuse. “Like hell I wouldn’t!” Jake said, frustrated. He was so close to getting answers and then bam, Dirk goes and acts all cryptic! “Yeah, no, you wouldn’t understand Jake, leave it at that.” Dirk said, his blazing eyes glaring at Jake. Jake was not about to be deterred just by Dirk’s stare. “Fine, if you think I won’t understand, then teach me! I’m a bloody good learner!” Dirk shook his head, forcing out a chuckle, “Pft, trust me, I can’t teach you it, even if I wanted to.” This was becoming very frustrating for Jake, so he scooted closer to Dirk and grabbed a hold of the other boy’s wrist, saying with a small smile, “Then could you at least show me mate?” Dirk straightened out his back, his wings stretching out and becoming puffy. Dirk became more ridged as his bright orange orbs searched Jake’s face and eyes carefully, a small blush covering his cheeks. “Are you sure…? Like, there isn’t a lot of ways I can show or explain it to you, and I don’t want to… make you uncomfortable.” Dirk said carefully as he looked Jake in the eyes, uncertainly. This made Jake nervous, but he wanted to know what he said that made Dirk so upset, so he nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I am absolutely, positively sure!” 

Dirk hesitated, his eyes now trained on Jake’s. The blonde haired boy began to lean forward, closing the space between him and Jake slowly, while keeping eye contact to gauge a response. Dirk tail snaked its way around Jake’s waist and began to pull the other boy closer. What is Dirk doing? The blond haired boy’s face was a breath away from Jake’s, Dirk’s eye’s fluttering closed along with Jake’s as the space between them closed and… 

“Dirky! Jakey! Get your asses down here! We gotta get movin if we’re gonna reach the temple of whatever’s on time.” Roxy shouted up to the roof at the two boys. Jake felt as Dirk’s tail was removed from his waist and as Dirk’s wrist was pulled from his own, a gust of wind brush over him. When he opened his eyes he saw Dirk had taken off, floating down to the ground near Roxy. Jake watched as the fairy tried to greet him, and even though he couldn’t hear them from this high up, the look on Roxy’s face told him that Dirk was in no mood for talking. As Jake walked over the town halls roof, over the small wall of the bell tower and down the stairs to his friends, one question embedded itself in his head.

What did Dirk just try to do?


	16. The Temple of Doom: Part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk's POV. They leave the town and head for the Temple of Doom. And then Stuff happens :P *A fight*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii everyone!! Ok, I have a few things to say. First off, I'm so sorry this is a few days late! I actually wrote most of this today and yesterday because I was suddenly inspired (I had writers block before my sudden inspiration). This is also my longest chapter so far! It's 10 pages long on a word document, which is pretty awesome! ^w^
> 
> The second thing that I have to say sort of sucks, but I need to let you guys know. I don't think I'll be able to update both of my fanfics within a week, as I've been struggling for the past few updates to get them out on time. The way I had been previously doing it is that I would update URWABBE, and then work on KCO, posting a few days later. I would then work to try and update them on the same day I last updated them, making it a week since I would update them. This, however, has caused me some probables and stress, so I'm changing the schedule. From now on I'll only be updating once a week. So one week I will update URWABBE, and the next I will be updating KCO. This makes it easier for me if I have sudden writers block or if I have school homework. I'm sorry for making it a lot longer between updates for this fanfic and my other one and I hope you all can bear with me. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read either URWABBE and KCO and anyone who has left a kudos! This is my first fic and I'm so glad to see so many people enjoying it! I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter of URWABBE! 0w0

What the fuck did I just try to do?

That was the only thing on Dirk’s mind as he marched back to the tavern, his face burning up with embarrassment and regret. He was so close, but, since fates a bitch and loves screwing Dirk over, he just had to be stopped, just inches away from Jake’s kissable lips. He was a hormonal, half-blood dragon who was just cock-blocked by a pixie in a purple dress. Yeah, he was pissed. 

Dirk shoved open the door to the Tavern/Inn, and before Rena-whatever-his-fucking-name-is could comment on how hard Dirk swung the door open and how it nearly broke from the force, Dirk gave the dude a good, hard glare, letting him know he wasn’t going to take his shit. Dirk also slightly registered he was letting out a low, menacing growl, and that he was still in his full form, but right now he didn’t give a shit. Once look and everyone in the Tavern went silent, Dirk ignoring all of their curious and frighten stares as he marched upstairs towards his and Jake’s room. Like hell he’d be there when Jake got there, he still needed to deal with the dude for nearly another week or so, and after today he knew he was about to be bombarded with questions from Roxy, Jane, and, of course, Latula. He could probably bullshit his way through Jake’s questions, but the girls’… yeah he was screwed. 

Dirk changed quickly from his Pajamas into black pants and a burgundy, lose fitting shirt with a low collar. He also unbuttoned the back so his wings could fit through them, because there was no way in hell he was going to go back into a human form. He felt vulnerable when he was, and since he was already pissed, embarrassed and scared shitless that he fucked up, he wanted to feel as comfortable as possible. He packed up his boots too considering he didn’t need them with his scaled feet. He decided there was no point in packing up his stuff and not Jake’s, so he quickly packed up Jake’s supplies and left out a pair of grey shorts and a black, sleeveless shirt with a green jacket. He was quick with his packing, but sadly, not quick enough. Just as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the doorway Roxy cornered him, standing in the doorway, putting her arms up to block Dirk’s exit. If she was here, Jake couldn’t be far behind. “Dirky, what were ya doin up there with Jakey??” Roxy began, eyeing Dirk curiously, before cooing, “Ya looked like you were trying to smooch him~!” However, instead of humoring her teasing, Dirk growled as he pushed past her, “I’m not in the mood Rox…” The fairy looked at him with a shocked expression, which grew soft after a moment. She followed Dirk down the hall, “Awww, he didn’t like ya back Di-stri?” Dirk shook his head as they descended the stairs, “No, actually I never got to-“ Dirk froze at the bottom of the stairs as he saw the mopey Jake enter the Tavern, and without a second thought he turned on his heels, shoving Roxy up the stairs as quickly as possible, “Move, move, move!!” 

Roxy complied and soon hurried up the stairs with Dirk behind her. Once they broke free of the narrow stairs Dirk took the lead, running down the hall, looking for an exit. “Wha- Dirk, what the hell are you doing?!!” Roxy pouted, crossing her arms at him while giving him a disapproving look as he ran around like a maniac. “I’m trying to find a way out of here which doesn’t involve an awkward encounter with the dude whose face I nearly sucked.” Dirk responded calmly even though he was frantic, rushing from open room to open room, searching for a window that was both large enough for him to fit through and one which could open. Roxy huffed, “Oh my GOSH Dirk! This is so stupid!!” she walked over to Dirk, grabbing his shoulders and turning him around to face him, her bright pink eyes looking straight into his as she said, “Just tell him that you like him!! Either that, or make some bullshit excuse!! Runnin around like an idiot ain’t gonna do you any good. And becoming a great escape artist isn’t the best plan either Di-Stri.” Dirk huffed. What did she know? She isn’t the one who wants Jake as her life partner! Dirk blushed at the thought, turning away from Roxy with another, low growl. Roxy sighed, “Dirky, Dirky, Dirky… K, ya know what? You and me are gonna go downstairs, back to our friends. And If Jake asks ya what’s up, I’ll fill in for ya.” Roxy took Dirk’s hand, causing him to glance over and see a sincere smile on her face. “Okay?” She asked, looking at Dirk for approval. He sighed, looking down and nodding defeatedly. Hell, what did he have to lose? With that Roxy let out a loud “Ohhhhhh Yeeeeeahh!!” before tugging Dirk along, down to his demise. A.k.a. Down to their friends and Jake.

Roxy went down the stairs first, Dirk being tugged along behind her. Jake was still in the Tavern, sitting at the bar, oblivious to the two half-bloods that were slowly walking across to the main doors. Many people stop their conversations to stare at Dirk, who was doing his best not to hit anyone with his wings as he maneuvered around the tables and chairs. However Roxy’s attention was drawn away from getting Dirk out of there to a dark navy blue outfit this one woman was wearing. As Roxy stopped and began talking to this woman, Dirk took this as a chance to look at Jake, who was facing away from them, and smile. Jake was laughing with Renegade, the older gentleman making wild hand gestures and funny faces as he told some story that was causing Jake to let out a chorus of laughs. Dirk liked seeing Jake like this, seeing him enjoying himself and laughing his beautiful laugh. However, Renegades eyes flicked over to the distracted Roxy and Dirk, stopping his wild hand gestures and nodding behind Jake, towards the pair. Jake quickly turned around, eyes wide as he and Dirk locked eyes, an uncertain grin spreading across his beautiful face. Dirk forced a small smile, trying to stay calm and collected even though he was melting, and panicking, under Jake’s emerald gaze. Jake quickly stood, turning to say thank you to the bartender before walking over to the two half-bloods. “Dirk! Roxy! Holy cumuli, I thought you two vanished on us!” Jake chuckled, though it sounded just as forced as Dirk’s smile. Roxy spun on her heels so that she was now facing Jake, glancing over at Dirk with an apologetic look. “When I got down off of that blasted roof you two were nowhere in sight! I asked Jane where you two scampered off to, but she merely said Roxy had gone to fetch us.” Thankfully Roxy had Dirk’s back. “Oh my gosh Jakey, we didn’t mean to make ya think we vanished on you!!” The pink eyed fairy said, slinging an arm around Jake’s shoulders before motioning with her free arm and hand towards Dirk and his bag. “Dirky here knew we had ta get goin, so we hurried back here to pack! We still have a long way to go, so the sooner we get goin, the better!!!” Dirk, nodded, following Roxy’s lead. “Yep, we still got a long distance to cover, and the sooner we get to the temple, find out whatever the fuck we’re supposed to find, the sooner we get to relax at that town for out siblings.” Jake looked at them in surprise before looking away embarrassed. “Oh golly, your right! I guess it was quiet silly of me to think you two wondered off without a reason…” 

Jake paused before sighing, looking back up at the two as he straightened his back and stood proudly, “Well, I better go get packed myself then! Here I am worrying about you two when I’m not prepared myself!” Dirk smirked at the green eyed boy, who was absolutely adorable. “Don’t worry bout it English, I already packed your stuff while I was in our room. I left some stuff out though in case you needed it.” Jake smiled a sincere smile at Dirk, one that was close to causing Dirk to blush. Damn that English charm. “Thank you Dirk! I owe you one my good friend!” Jake said as he walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Dirk smiled back at Jake until he disappeared up the stairs, Dirk letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as the tension in his body eased away. Before Dirk could say anything, Roxy beat him to it. “Huh, I was sure he would of asked ya about your grand escape before the smooch.” Roxy thought out loud, rubbing her chin and pursing her lips as she eyed where Jake disappeared. Dirk nodded, feeling relieved until a small, singular thought flashed through his mind that made his heart ache. What if Jake didn’t bring it up because he knew was Dirk was doing and didn’t feel the same way towards him?? Maybe that was why he was avoiding the conversation (although Dirk was also avoiding the conversation by trying to become a fucking escape artist until Roxy talked some sense into him). Dirk sighed as he turned around, walking towards the exit. “Yo Di-Stri! Where are you going?? Shouldn’t we wait for English??” Roxy called to Dirk as he reached the door. Dirk waved behind himself towards Roxy. “Can you wait for him Roxy? I’m going to check on the others.” Before she could answer Dirk exited the Tavern, inhaling the fresh air of dawn.

The Sun was still low in the sky, probably not even 8 a.m yet, making the sky a nice orange that faded into a navy blue. Dirk had seen many sunrises and sunsets before, but after living underground for hundreds of years, he still stared at them in awe. However he quickly turned his attention away from the sun and the colours of the sky towards the town in front of him. Dirk looked around until he spotted Jane and Aradia hauling some supplies from a small shop that had many odds and ends handing from the windows. The owner, a young woman in a white dress, was waving at them from the door with a big grin on her face and a moderately sized coin bag in her hand. Aradia was wearing a red garment that draped down her front to her knees and had long sleeves, and dark red pants that puffed out at the knees due to her high black boots. Jane was wearing a red shirt that matched Aradia’s (probably gifted to her by said half-blood), however she was wearing black puffed pants and red shoes instead. Dirk began walking towards the two girls to ask where Latula was when he heard a loud thud and an equally loud, “h3y, not cool hors3 bro!” Dirk peer around a building that was obstructing his view of the rest of the path Aradia and Jane were walking on to see Latula on her ass, the reins of a bucking horse in her hands. Latula was wearing a light, teal-green shirt, black pants, and a cloak that was a darker shade of her shirts colour. If Dirk was being honest, neither Terezi nor Latula were good with any animals except dragons or lizards. This instance was a prime example. The silvery white stallion had long white hair that was the same colour of its main coat, and boy was it not happy. It bucking and kicking around franticly as Latula scrambled to her feet to try and get it under control. Dirk sighed, rolling his eyes as Latula was, again, knocked on her ass, said half-blood letting out a string of swears towards the frightened beast. Hell, the thing could obviously tell she wasn’t human, animals had some sort of sixth sense for this shit. After Jane and Aradia reached Latula and the scared horse they put down their new supplies, both girls trying to calm down the horse so Latula could get it saddled. However, when their attempts to calm it fail (instead making it more anxious and fearful), Dirk decided to step in, striding over to the group with a smirk on his face despite the strange stares he was getting due to his wings and tail. 

“Having trouble there Latula?” Dirk smirk grew as Latula brushed herself off, handing the reins and saddle over to Dirk immediately and grumbling, “hors3s 4r3n’t r4d 4t 4ll. Th3’r3 4sshol3s. No wond3r th3y’r3 r3l4t3d to donk3ys…” Dirk let out a small laugh at the last part, motioning the others to stand away from the frantic horse as it stood on its hind legs. “Hey there bro,” Dirk said as calmly as he could, the horse clashing it’s hooves to the ground before it simply shifted from hoof to hoof, looking at Dirk uncertainly. “Hey, there we go…,” Dirk said smoothly as he slowly approached the horse, not wanting to spook it, “What’s your name pal?” The Horse simply snorted at Dirk, he himself smirking as the horse slowly began to calm down due to his kind words and smooth voice. Once Dirk was close enough he held his hand out, which the stallion eagerly sniffed and brushed his head against. With that Dirk was able to walk the rest of the way towards it, petting its head and mane before tying it up to a nearby fence where he saddled it up. When Dirk turned around he couldn’t help but burst into laughter from the looks the three girls were giving him, ranging from awe to “how the fuck did you do that bruh???”. As Jane and Latula prepared to saddle up the other two horses Aradia informed him that they bought these horses to help with their travel as they would be able to cover more ground with them, and carry more supplies (answering why Jane and Aradia had gotten so much shit from that store ranging from fruits and dried meats to gauzes and other medical shit). Roxy came bounding over to their group with Jake by her side, his bags split between the two. Jake eyed the horses curiously, turning to, of all people, Dirk. “Blimey Dirk, are we using these horses??” He asked, looking the white stallion up and down. Dirk smirked, grabbing Jake’s bags from him and Roxy and attaching them to the saddle of the horse, “Yep, Maplehoof and her buds are going to be our rides to the temple of Doom.” Jake laughed, crossing his arms as he looked at Maplehoof and then Dirk, “Wait a bloody second! You named such a fine beast Maplehoof?? My, such a creature deserves a more fitting name!” Dirk rolled his eyes at Jake as he secured their belongings to the horse, whose perfectly fitting name was just insulted. “Oh really? Ok, what name do you have in mind English that could possibly outmatch Maplehoof?” Jake looked a bit caught off guard by that question, thinking for a few brief seconds as Dirk checked to make sure everything was secure to the saddle. He responded with a proud smile, “Neytiri. It’s an exotic name and would suit a lovely horse like this well!” Dirk deadpanned, turning to face Jake slowly. “Dude, first off, none of us are going to remember that name, let alone the fucking horse that has to come when it’s called. Secondly, Maplehoof is totally better.” Dirk bit back a smile as Jake’s proud demeanor became flustered by his last comment. “Damn it Strider! Maplehoof is NOT a better name!” 

Within minutes the Horses were saddled and ready to go. Dirk, for the wellbeing of Maplehoof, changed into his human form, his wings and tail turning into ‘tattoos’ on his body while his scales were asorbed into his body. He hoisted himself onto Maplehoof’s back, helping Jake up onto the double seated saddle when he kept losing his footing. Dirk and Jake took Maplehoof (“Her name is Neytiri Dirk, not Maplehoof!!!”), the two boys leading the way. While Roxy and Jane took the black and brown spotted stallion, which they named Cotton Candy due to its fluffy main, Latula and Aradia took the light, golden brown horse, which they named Pumpkin due to its trickster-like tendencies (like when it nipped at maplehoof and turned away quickly enough for Maplehoof to think it was the other horse). After thanking and bidding the towns people fair well, and after telling their curious Mayor about their question and where they would be meeting their fellow firneds, they were off, sprinting down the dirt road leading from the down at full gallop. They stayed at this pace for a good ten minutes before slowing down, Dirks crotch already hurting from the hard saddle. From then on they kept it as a fast trot so they wouldn’t overexert the horses and so that they would (maybe) be able to sit down after this journey. Jake had taken out the map from Dirk’s back tied to the side of the horse, unraveling and studying it, though for most of said trip, he and Dirk argued over the name of the horse they currently were riding on. “Her names Maplehoof bro, can’t change it now.” “Ballocks it is Strider! Her name is Neytiri!” Jake huffed, causing Dirk grumble, “Alright fine, let’s ask the damn horse.” Dirk leaned down and patted the white horse (Maplehoof) on the side of the neck, asking, “Hey there big girl. Which name do you like better? Maplehoof or Neytiri? Neigh or snort for one, don’t neigh or whatever for two.” The horse obviously thought Maplehoof was a superior name, neighing before letting out several soft snorts as it quickened its pace. Dirk had laughed as Jake fumed, accusing Dirk of cheating with his “magic voodoo shenanigans” making him ask Maplehoof to neigh for his name or stay silent for her current one. Dirk nearly feel out of the saddle clenching his abdomen from his gut splitting laughter as Maplehoof made little to no sound when asked this question. Jake pouted, shoving the laughing Dirk lightly as he grumbled to himself over the horse and its new name.

Dirk was really thankful that Jake didn’t bring up about what he nearly did this morning as he would have no way out of it. Roxy was busy talking with Jane, while Latula and Aradia were behind them, meaning Dirk’s only escape would be to abscond off the horse and into the woods surrounding them. As their trip dragged on, the dense bush around them became less thick, the large trees slowly turning into sparsely spread out dress and few bushes. Here they derived from the path, Dirk taking the map from Jake so he could follow his own route to their destination, which was still several hundred miles away in the direction they currently were going. At night fall they unloaded, camped, ate, fed the horses, slept, woke up, packed, rode their horses, and repeated this process for 3 more days. By then everyone was tired of the constant riding, with their back aching from the jolts as well as their lower regions. They also had decided after the second day of riding with the same partners they’d switch it up, so Dirk was no longer riding Maplehoof with Jake, but Jane, while the other boy was now with Aradia on pumpkin. Latula and Roxy were having a blast on Cotton Candy, giggling there asses off over something that Dirk believed was about him. Fantastic. It was the early morning of the fourth day, the sun just barely above the horizon. Dirk was starting to worry they had taken a wrong turn, however the further they road through the trees he began to notice the trees becoming darker, their leaves turning murky colours and brittle before there was not a trace of green on them. The grass also grew greyer and patchy, thrones starting to sprout from the roots of leafless trees. These changes and the fact that an uneasiness hung heavily in the air informed Dirk that, yep, they were definitely close to their destination.

Dirk pulled at Maplehoof’s reins, making her fast gallop turn into a soft trot. The others followed suit, each of them glancing around at the barren and unwelcoming area around them, a foggy haze in the air that made it harder to see very far away. “So… uh, Di-Stri,” Roxy began, looking towards Dirk with a worried expression, “are we at the temple?” Dirk shook his head, looking back down at the map, “No, but we’re near it. But without being able to see a mile ahead of us, it could be in any direction…” Dirk had an idea, but the more he thought it through he realized it was a horrible idea. Latula, however, saw the expression he was making and huffed, “Out w1th 1t str1d3r.” Everyone looked over at Latula curiously, even Dirk, causing her to roll her eyes, obviously not in a good mood from the constant riding. “D1rk h4s 4n 1d34,” She clarified, dismounting from her horse and stretching, “1’v3 s33n th4t look h3 g3ts wh3n h3 h4s 4 pl4n 4 hundr3d t1m3s. P3rks of l1v1ng w1th h1m for hundr3ds of y34rs.” “WHAT?!” Everyone jumped slightly, turning to the gaping Jake. “How bloody old are you both?!” Jake asked, shocked at this information. “I don’t know, nearly 1000?” Dirk answered honestly considering he’d lost count around 600 and some years. Jake paled, and Dirk was debating whether or not to get off his horse and get ready to catch Jake like he was swoon damsel since the guy looked like he was about to pass out. Thankfully Aradia noticed Jake’s paleness, dismounting and helping him to his feet. Jane also dismounted, followed by Dirk and the other two girls. After dismounting Roxy crossed her arms at Dirk, having a stare off with him as she said, “So, what’s the plan ya got Dirky?” Dirk really didn’t want to try it because, now that he’s though it over, it was fucking idiotic. “Yes, what is y0u plan t0 find the temple?” Aradia said as she kept an eye on Jake, who was now back to his natural, golden tan colour, though his was still gaping at Dirk. Soon Jane was also staring at Dirk patiently for him to answer. Dirk groaned annoyed by everyone’s staring. There was a fucking reason why he didn’t say anything about his crappy plan. 

Dirk looked away from everyone, into the haze that blocked out the trees and mountains in the distance. “Fuuuuuuck fine,” He growled out under his breath before sighing defeated, “My plan was for us to split up into two teams and search around, but considering we’re looking for a place named ‘the temple of Doom’, I realized it was the shittiest idea ever. Happy?” He asked the last part turning towards Roxy and Latula. Roxy smiled widely, “Yes, very! And that isn’t the shittiest idea ever Dirky! You could have decided we’d go looking by ourselves!” Latula nodded, “Y34h, sh3’s r1ght str1d3r, your pl4n 1sn’t 4s cr4ppy 4s 1t sounds. W3’d st1ll h4v3 two oth3r p3opl3 w1th us to s4v3 our 4ss3s 1f som3th1ng w3r3 to h4ppen.” Aradia nodded, “Yes, that’s true! S0 I d0n’t see a pr0blem with the plan then!” All of the girls began to chatter about his totally shitty plan, deciding on teams and where they should look first. Dirk stared at them blankly, the only thought running through his head is ‘they can’t be serious’. Sadly for Dirk, they were, and within minutes they were split into two teams, Roxy, Latula and Jake on one team, Jane, Dirk and Aradia on the other. They tied up their horses to a particularly large, twisted tree, unpacking what they could carry for their search. Feeling worried for the horses Roxy casted a charm on them, causing a large pink fence around the tree and horses. She said this charm would wear off in 3 hours, giving them a time limit before poor, innocent Maplehoof and friends were at the mercy of whatever lurked in the haze. With the horses safe and sound the two groups parted, each of them going one way of their choosing, but still in a direction that was close to parallel with the other group. Dirk had an uneasy feeling about separating like this, but he couldn’t really dwell on it, now could he? They already lost sight of the horses and the others, and Dirk didn’t know what creatures were nearby, so yelling was only a last resort. 

Suddenly, in the distance, Dirk could make out a silhouette of several curvy pillars and a large wall which spanned far into the haze. Within no time he, Jane, and Aradia were at said wall, which had dark, dark green bricks with skulls carved into the larger, middle bricks. Just peachy. Dirk also noticed how the haze which was impairing their sight had thicken greatly once they reached the wall, which was continuing in either direction. Dirk decided it was best if they walked towards where Jake and the other would be heading, walking alongside the wall. They were silent for most of this, not wanting to break the silence even though it weighed heavy on their shoulders. After they began walking towards where their fellow friends would meet the wall, a shout ripped through the silence. It was Jake. “DIRK?” Jake’s voice echoed, though it didn’t sound panicked, which was good. “YEAH?” Dirk responded as loud as he could, trying to hide the worry in his voice. So far for being inconspicuous. “WE JUST FOUND A BLOODY SCARY WALL! WE THINK THE TEMPLES BEHIND IT!!!” Dirk sighed, looking at the two girls. Aradia was giggling, while Jane smiled, rolling her eyes. Dirk smiled too as he called back, “WE FOUND IT TOO ENGLISH. TRY AND FIND A WAY THROUGH IT, AND WE’LL FIND OUR OWN. NO MORE YELLING UNLESS YOU GUYS GET IN SHIT ALRIGHT?” There was a pause on Jake’s end before Roxy shouted back, “OKA DOKA DIRKY BABY! STAY SAFE!” Dirk sighed as Jane and Aradia’s giggling picked up. They followed the weird ass skull engraved wall for a few minutes, a more comfortable silence resting between them now. “H0w l0ng d0 y0u think this wall is?” Aradia pondered as they continued to search for an entrance to no avail. “Hmmm, I don’t know, but we’ve been walking for who knows how long, so we must be close!” Jane answered with a smile, “Shucks, I hope the others are having an easier time than we are.” However, just as the words left her mouth, Dirk saw an indent along the engraved wall just a few feet away. He picked up his pace as the girls chattered away, stopping in front of the small entrance that had a large, oriented skull above it with the word “Trust no one, or doom will befall you” written underneath. “Well that’s inviting…” Dirk mumbled under his breath as he examined the entrance itself. It was small and wide, looking like it was made for something to crawl through rather than walk, and when Dirk crouched down to peer into the small opening he could only make out a few stone pillars through the dimly lit entrance. Oh well, this will have to do, he thought as he stood up, the girls looking at Dirk and the hole curiously.

“Well, looks like this is our way in.” Dirk said as he brushed off his pants, motioning to the small entrance. “Uh… are you sure Dirk?” Jane asked wearily as she peered into the small entrance, “It’s really dark in there… and we would have to crawl on our hands and knees to get inside.” Aradia smiled as she went down into a crawling position, throwing her supplies through the entrance before easing her way into the small space, “0h but that’s the fun part! Y0u can’t expl0re with0ut getting dirty!” Jane sighed, mumbling under her breath as she went on her hands and knees, passing her stuff through and following Aradia through the small entrance. Dirk stared at them before smirking, “So, I guess ladies first then?” That got him a kick in the shins by Jane, who was just halfway through the small opening. Once the girls were out of the way Dirk threw his stuff through, he himself easily slid through the small space. As soon as he passed through into the temple he had a very weird and uncomfortable feeling pass through him, making his nerves stand on end. He quickly stood, drawing his Katana from its hilt as he canvased the area, looking for any signs of danger. Around them were black, stony floors and high, murky green walls, the pillars which were scattered about a mixture of the two colours. The view in front of them were several series of levels, each platform only a metre or two higher than the other, with stairs up to each platform beside the tall walls. In the middle were the strange pillars which depicted humanoid snake creatures surrounding this larger snake with a skull as a head. Probably Snake or serpentine half-bloods, Dirk thought to himself as he traced his fingers over the figures on the pillars. There was very little light coming from the dainty flames of the torches which were high on the walls. The walls had huge skulls carved into them that were surrounded by a language that was long dead, Dirk only being able to make out a few words like “Doom” and “Shapeshifter”. 

Aradia was eager to look around, turning over fallen rocks and whispering the inscriptions to herself, not caring if there were huge ass spiders or beetles on the rocks when she did this. Jane, on the other hand, stayed close to Dirk, holding up her rusty pitchfork protectively, not going anywhere near Aradia or the cryptic walls. Dirk and Jane slowly made their way up the stairs to each level, Aradia a level ahead of them as she zoomed through the temple, reading the inscriptions and looking at all the weird, rusty gold goblets, plates and coins throughout the platforms. Dirk could easily see that these were peace offering to whatever creature lives here, as he sometimes saw cracked skulls and broken limbs with the old gold pieces. Eventually they got to the top platform at the end of the large room where an altar stood with three arched entranceways leading to different parts of the temple behind it. On the altar was a dark, metal head meant for a headdress, which was missing. Dirk decided that that headdress is what they’re after, but he didn’t know where the fuck they would even start looking for it in this massive temple. Dirk looked at the three arches behind the altar as Aradia examined the carvings and stone statues around it, Jane looking at the headrest curiously. Above each entrance was a symbol. As Dirk approached the middle one he felt head emanating from it, the symbol above or fire. He concluded that that entrance lead underground, probably to a lava river which were a common occurrence in the main land. Dirk turned, ready to check the entrance to the left, which appeared to lead up to a second floor, when an earthquake rocked the temple. Dirk had trouble steading himself, but when he saw that Aradia was about to be crushed by a falling rock he dove, pushing her out of the way as the rock came crashing down on her previous position. The tremor only lasted a few seconds, however the damage it did was tremendous. Several pillars were damages or fallen, and one of the larger statuettes had fallen over, blocking one of the 3 entrances. 

Dirk stood, helping Aradia to her feet before they searched around for Jane, who was crouched behind the altar, shielding herself from any flying debris using a large, metal plate. As Aradia checked herself for injury Dirk walked over to Jane, taking the plate from her and helping her to her feet. “Are you alright?” Dirk asked as he looked the shocked Jane up and down. Jane nodded, looking down at her slightly torn attire. “Oh yes, of course I am Dirk! I’m just… shaken up?” Jane offered with a crooked smile. Dirk smirked at Jane, ruffling her hair, “Glad to see you’re alright. Also that was a hooorrrible pun.” Jane laughed, “Hoo Hoo Hoo! It wasn’t THAT bad!” Dirk nodded as he turned to check on Aradia, “Yes, yes it was. It wasn’t even punny.” That got another few quiet laughs from Jane, Aradia also laughing from their silliness. He was glad he had friends that could turn a scary ass situation like this into fun ones. Aradia assured Dirk she was alright even though Dirk could clearly see the large scrap up her arm from when they skidded on the floor. The temple was now pretty banged up, and he would be lying if he was worried about venturing further with the structural supports damaged. However he masked his worry by pointing to the only other entrance not blocked, which was to the right of the fire tunnel. It was a dimly lit, narrow tunnel that lead further back into the temple with a serpent above its arch. Even though they didn’t know where it lead, Dirk had a feeling it lead to the half-blood race which most likely dwelled in this temple. And if it didn’t, then it was probably just a bunch of snakes in a pit. No problem. 

Aradia looked up at the serpent above the arch, towards the fire symbol above the middle arch, and then to Dirk, “What ab0ut that 0ther passage?” Dirk began walking towards the right entrance, shrugging, “Well considering not all of us are half-blood dragons with a high fire resistance, I think dealing with snakes would be easier than dealing with a burning body.” Jane’s grip on her weapon tightened as she nodded vigorously, “I’m sorry Aradia, but I’m going to have to agree with Dirk on this one.” Aradia didn’t seem too phased by it as she hurried in front of Dirk into the far right entrance, once again leading the way. The tunnel had them walking for over five minutes before it broke away into a large room with a large, square pond at the center, one pillar at each corner of the pond that lead up to a dome with natural light shining through. The walls around them still had the same, weird inscriptions on them as the last, however on the wall to their left was another arch entry way, with the same fire symbol as before hung above it. Another arch on the other side of the room also held a cloud symbol and looked like it was leading up to the roof of the temple. At the center of the pond was what Dirk assumed was a statue of the creature on the pillars. It lower half was of a large snake, 5 meters tops, that slowly transitioned into a boney top half with large ‘legs’ (ribs) stretched out and open, probably acting as some sort of defense or legs. Its head was a giant skull that was 10 times as big as Dirks, sharp fangs hanging from its open mouth full of incisors. However what caught Dirk’s eyes the most was the head garment it was wearing. It was a normal black skull mask without a jaw with several spikey strips of musky green protruding from its sides, holding it to the statues forehead. Bingo.  
He began walking to the center of the room, the girls following close behind him. He stopped abruptly at the edge of the pond, the girls stopping at his side and looking around. Aradia looking curiously down into the dark, dark water while Jane looked wide eyed at the scary creature in front of them. “Up there,” Dirk said, pointing up towards the mask atop the 10 feet tall statue, “That must be what we’re after.” Dirk tried to change into his full form, ready to fly up and snatch that mask off that things ugly face when he found he couldn’t. “What the…,” He said, looking at himself confusedly before squeezing his eyes shut and trying to change with all his might. Nothing. “Dirk? Are you alright? You look like your dying!” Jane asked as she rested a worried hand on his shoulder. Dirk growled under his breath, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just can’t change into my full form is all.” That’s when it clicked. That strange feeling he felt when he first entered the temple must be some sort of rune or spell designed to keep people from shapeshifting. Dirk ran towards the large wall which was not interrupted by an entry way, skimming and reading the old language more carefully. Now that he actually paid attention to the fucking writing he found out that this temple has a spell bound to it, making it impossible for anyone to change forms inside it without the mask. But the further he read, the more the dread pooled in his stomach. “Shit…” Dirk cursed as he gripped the handle of his sword harder. Jane and Aradia quickly appeared beside him looking at him worriedly. “What’s wr0ng?” Aradia asked, skimming the inscriptions on the wall as Jane looked at Dirk worriedly. Fuck this is bad. Dirk gulped, not turning away from the wall, “This temple prevents people from shapeshifting if they are able to. That mask allows it’s users to shapeshift both inside and outside this temple, making it useful for humans or other creatures who can’t otherwise. But the mask requires blood from the being its user is going to turn into, meaning if you don’t have the blood of the person you’re going to turn into, you can’t.” Dirk took another deep breath as he began to tense, “That mask has a guardian who uses it to lure groups of people to their demise, making this ‘the temple of Doom’. All of those gold plates and other shit were potential peace offerings from the half-bloods who live underground, below the temple.” Jane began shaking, her voice cracking as she said, “And that guardian of that mask would be…?” 

Dirk slowly turned around, drawing his Katana in the process, the girls following his gaze back to the statue. Or more precisely, the empty space where the statue previously was. “Shi-!” Before Dirk could finish voicing his panic a tail crashed into his side, thankfully missing the girls, who were slightly behind him at the time. Dirk slammed into the wall that the cloud arch was on, causing a huge crack to appear along it. Shit, this wasn’t good. Sure, his human form was more agile and fast, but it also was more fragile, and he was damn sure after that he had a broken rib. Once he hit the ground his was gasping for breath after having the wind knocked out of him and, yep, he had a broken rib on his right side as it hurt like a bitch every time he tried to breathe. He propped himself up on his elbows to see Aradia and Jane fighting off the creature, who no longer looked like stone. Its snake tail was a black at had dark, yucky green highlights to it. Its bones were a dark yellow, and its eyes were different colours, one blue and one red. The thing let out a deathly loud scream as it charged at Aradia, who barely avoided getting stabbed by one of its ribs (legs?). However she couldn’t dodge its tail, which whipped around and hit her in the gut, launching her into the water. “Aradia!” Dirk called out through the burning pain in his chest. He stood on unbalanced legs, rushing over to the water as Jane continued to fight off that creature. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Dirk repeated to himself when Aradia didn’t surface after a few seconds. He was in no shape to swim down after her, and he damn well knew he couldn’t leave Jane here to fight that fucker by herself. Holding back his tears, whether they were from pain, anger or grief, he couldn’t tell, he turned towards the fight. Jane had her pitchfork stuck deep within the creatures tail, said fucker looking even more pissed due to the thing protruding from the middle of its tail. Before Dirk could reach them it spun around, sending the unarm Jane skidding across the room, where she hit her head. She passed out with a pained groan, and before it could advance on her Dirk charged, slashing at it with his Katana, ignoring the pain in his chest that sent shock waves through his body with every movement. He dug his Katana deep into its tail near its tip, running up towards its middle as it let out loud, high pitch screeches of agony. However, before he could do anymore damage to it, it flicked its tail, dislodging his sword and knocking him to the ground, causing a jolt of pain to surge through him.

He let out a scream of agony as the serpentine creature spun around, digging one of its ribs into Dirks left leg, tearing right through the muscles and arteries inside. It didn’t take out the rib as it slowly lowed its head, and the mask, towards Dirk’s mangled leg. The mask began to glow a light green, and slowly the blood gushing from Dirk’s torn up leg began to float up, towards the mask where it then was absorbed. “Motherfucker,” Dirk growled through clenched teeth as the creature ripped it’s appendage from Dirk leg. Soon the whole snake-creature-little-shit was engulfed in blackness, that mound of darkness slowly shrinking until it was, of course, Dirk’s height. After a few moments the darkness was absorbed back into the mask, which was now being held in the hands of a naked Dirk. “Ah, much better,” the copy-cater said as he rested the mask on his chest, where it then dug in for a firm hold. It smirked, fucking SMIRKED at Dirk. “You have other companions inside my temple, which I do not appreciate. I also,” it growled, picking Dirk up by the jaw and lifting him high above its head (damn he was strong), “I also don’t appreciate you trying to steal my most valuable position.” Dirk knew he was referring to that mask that was now attached firmly to the shapeshifters chest. Dirk tried to move his arm to grab the mask and rip it off of the others chest, but soon found himself too weak to move, his torn leg still bleeding profusely. The other Dirk then threw him down to the ground, hard, and began undressing him (thankfully leaving on his undergarments), as it sneered, “Sorry, but I can’t very well walk up to your allies with a skull on my chest and no clothes, that would be a dead giveaway.” As it turned away from Dirk, beginning to change into his stolen clothes, Dirk looked over at Jane, who was now conscious and looked to be getting ready to stand. She meet and held eye contact with Dirk for a few moments, Dirk mouthing “Stay down” to her. This asshole already had what he need, a disguise, and as far as he knew Jane was passed out cold or dead. If she attacked him now he would easily kill her without a second thought, and after already losing Aradia, Dirk wasn’t about to let Jane go that easily. Jane slowly nodded, relaxing the best she could against the stone wall while closing her eyes. Good, she looked like she never moved. Dirk’s eyes snapped back up towards the impostor, who was now fully dressed, looking back at Dirk with its lips pulled into a thin line. That’s when Dirk noticed its eyes, they weren’t his. His left eye was still a bright blue and his other a fiery red, and Dirk smirked, knowing his friends would know he’s a shapshifter in seconds. Or he did think that until the creature got an unholy grin, looking over at Dirk’s bag, which was open with his things scattered about. It bent over Dirk and grabbed something from the bag after rummaging through his things. His triangular, nearly completely black, almost impossible to see through, shades were plucked out from the mess. 

The shapeshifter turned to Dirk, its grin still in place as it slid on the piece of eyewear. “You know, I’ve never actually transformed into any other creature other than those pesky serpent half-bloods which live in tunnels that connect to MY TEMPLE.” Its expression soured instantly at the mention of them, “They constantly come out of their filthy holes and ruin my temple! They have no right to be here, and that I why they pay for it dearly.” Soon its angered expression turned to a reminiscent one. “Ooooooooh how I love feeling one of their skulls break under my grasp.” Dirk realized that those half-bloods must have the same coloured eyes as this creature or else it wouldn’t have looked so worried about Dirk’s eye colour. “Farewell weak half-blood,” The other Dirk cackled as he began walking towards the arch with the fire symbol, “I’ll be back to finish you off after I’m done taking care of your friends.” 

As Dirk began to slip into unconsciousness he saw the impostor leave down the tunnel without another look back. He saw Jane’s eyes shoot open, her mouth moving, saying something even though he no longer could hear. And the last thing he saw before his vision blacked out was Aradia surfacing from the water, gasping for breath as she pulled herself up onto the edge of the pond, a shirtless boy with grey skin, a yellow snake tail, and mix-match eyes helping her up.


	17. Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave's POV. Dave, John, Rose, Jade, and Terezi, along with the Vantas' get attacked. Dave see's John hurt, and will do anything to save him. **TRIGGER WARNING VIOLENCE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!!! Yes, I know this is a few day's late, I am very sorry that it is UmU I've been sick the past three days or so, so I haven't really been able to finish up this chapter before today. I actually started writing Jake's POV, but then remembered I have a little Rotation I go through with the POV's. The Beta Boy's go first, and then the Alpha's, and since I had already used Jake's prior to the last chapter, I had to change it to Dave's. So you guys are going to have to wait a while till you find out what happens in the Temple of Doom ~w0
> 
> And once again I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes that are in my chapters. A lot of people have commented on it and so I just wanted to let you guys know I know there are a lot of grammar issues and spelling mistakes, and that I am sorry it takes away from the story. I'm planning on going through my chapters after the summer break and clean up any spelling errors and I'll try to fix any grammar issues as well. 
> 
> I also know for a fact that this will continue after summer as I will be taking a 8 week break from writing to go to a summer camp with no internet. Sooooooo I won't be able to post in that time period, or write, so I'll try to get as much plot done before summer. I'll post this new's on KCO just for anyone who's not following this one as well. 
> 
> Also I have to ask, has anyone drawn any fanart for this? I love to draw and if anyone has any fanart they'd like to share I'd love to see it! ^w^
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^w^ (sorry if it seems a bit rushed at the end btw I was sick and knew I'm not good at writing while I'm sick)

Does this guy every shut up??!

Dave groaned as Karkat continued to rant about how stupid he and his whole team was. Nearly an hour ago (though it feels like a fucking eternity) John had finished filling Karkat and Kankri in where they were currently heading. “I told you dude, I fucking told you not to say anything, and now we’re all payin for it.” Dave grumbled under his breath to John, who just lightly punched him in the shoulder and said ‘shut up Dave!’. At the Vantas’ farm house they had debriefed them on the prophecy (although Kankri already knew most of it), and as they began walking into the valley with them, John decided they should tell them where they were supposed to be heading. And where they were supposed to be heading, as a matter of fact, was to the huge ass mountain range on the other side of this big ass valley that spanned several hundred miles in the direction they were heading. And, of course, Karkat just HAD to point that out.

“…AND FURTHER MORE, YOU ARE ALL BULDGE HEADS FOR EVEN REMOTELY THINKING THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, BECAUSE IT IS, IN NO WAY WHAT SO FUCKING EVER, A GOOD IDEA.” Karkat fumed, arms crossed as he glared at Dave and Terezi, the only two non-humans in their group (unless you count jade, who is now sort of part wolf), and the two who were currently leading their mixed-matched group. “THIS VALLEY WILL TAKE NEARLY 2 MONTHS TO CROSS AT THIS SLOW FUCKING RATE AND YOU ASSHOLES EXPECT TO BE THERE IN JUST OVER 1 WEEK!!! UN-FUCKING BELIEVABLE!! YOU ALL ARE-” “Karkat, would you please SHUT UP!! You don’t have to be so mean!!” Jade growled, her ears flattening to her dark mat of hair as she herself crossed her arms, returning Karkat’s glare. They held this stare for only a few more pace’s, Karkat eventually giving her a hard scowl before he directed his attention back at the front of the group. Thank god that was the end of that. Jade immediately perked up afterwards, a little skip in her step and a huge, proud grin on her face. “However much I do dislike his wording in this circumstance,” Rose spoke up, looking towards the darkening sky, the sun just beginning to set below the horizon, “Karkat is right. We won’t make it to the temple in time, even if we were to sprint most of the way and sleep very little.” Dave and Terezi stopped, turning around, effectively stopping the rest of the group who they were about to address. Karkat, Rose, Jade and Kankri were all in a little bundle at the middle, while Terezi and Dave were leading the group, John right beside his best bro.

“OK MRS. GR4P3. 1F YOU TH1NK W3 WON’T M4K3 1T ON T1M3, TH3N WH4T’S YOUR SOLUT1ON TO OUR PROBL3M?” Terezi said, a slight pout on her lips. Dave knew Terezi hated not being in control of a situation, sort of like Dirk. Rose looked a bit taken back. “I was merely stating that I believe Karkat is right,” Rose responded, looking around the endless valley before looking back to the pouting Terezi, “I did not say I had a solution to our predicament.” Dave groaned again, not only because they would be fucking late, but he would have to stay with the shouty midget Karkles more than he’d like. He could handle 2 weeks of his bullshit, but not 2 fucking months. Rose quirked a brow at Dave, “Is everything alright David?” Dave shook his head, leaning on John as he sighed dramatically. “No, not everything is not fucking ok. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere at the moment and I’d rather be anywhere but here!” John rolled his eyes at Dave’s dramatic sigh, mumbling under his breath about Dave being a Drama queen before he pushed the half-blood off of him. “Come on Dave, it isn’t so bad! At least the weather’s nice!” John grinned, twirling around as he stretched out his arms to emphasize how nice it was. Dave had to agree. Even though the sun had started to dip below the horizon the air was cool and refreshing, and with little to no clouds in the sky Dave could clearly see the dusting of stars in the sky. However he wasn’t done being a drama queen. 

“I know it’s nice out Egbert, I’m just so fucking bored!” Dave sighed, looking to the others, “And I sure as hell know most of us don’t want to be trapped out here for days, heck even weeks, without anything to do! I’m pretty sure my bro and the others are having a shit load of fun doing whatever they’re doing right now! Hell, they’re probably chilling in that temple right now and calling us a bunch of suckers!” Jade crossed her arms at Dave, obviously not buying it. “No they aren’t Dave!” She said with a pout, “Jake would never call anyone a sucker unless he didn’t like them! I’m pretty sure he likes you and your bro and the rest of us!” Dave barely registered Karkat trying to butt into their conversation as Rose responded, “I agree with Jade. I believe they may be having just as much difficulty as we are. We do not know their current circumstances as they do not know ours.” Suddenly Dave felt a twinge of panic go through his system. She was right, he didn’t know if his bro was ok or not. The memories of earlier that day had come flooding back. The loud, shrill scream, the magenta light, and the glowing seers’ eyes. Dave felt his inside’s twist and his heart rate spike as he looked back to where they had come from, the trees of the Orchard and forest nothing but faded, distant shadows. Apparently everyone picked up on his panic, though John was the first to react by bringing the other into a huge hug. “They’re ok Dave, don’t worry! Your bro is strong and, uh, cool so he can take care of himself! Don’t worry, uh, dude, its ok!” John said encouragingly as he tried to make Dave calm down. Rose and Jade also gave him a reassuring smile, while Terezi patted him on the shoulder. Kankri also looked sympatheticly towards Dave, however Karkat was preoccupied. For some reason John hugging him made Dave’s stomach flip, but not in a bad way. He rolled his eyes, effectively calmed down, bringing his arm up to wrap around John’s shoulders to hold him in place as be messed up the smaller boys raven black hair. “Thanks for the encouragement ya dork!” John made a yelp in protest, but otherwise did little to stop his already uncontrollable hair from being messed up further. Everyone began to laugh, including John, though this moment was short lived. 

Just as a menacing growl reached Dave’s ears, Karkat shouted in a panic, “EVERYONE SHUT U- OH FUCK!!!” Karkat launched himself to the ground just in time to avoid getting his face ripped apart from a saber wolf, who had hurdled itself towards him. It landed in the middle of the group, everyone scurrying backwards out of its reach, though it was not alone. Almost 10 other saber wolves surrounded them, causing them to be trapped. John and Dave stood closely together, their weapons drawn as they continuously looked around to make sure none of the creatures were about to attack. Karkat stumbled quickly to his feet and migrated over to the growling Jade. Kankri, Rose and Terezi all were in a small cluster after Terezi lunged towards them to block one of the creatures’ attacks. Dave and John were still close to the top half of the circle the saber wolves were making, while Terezi, Kankri and Rose were near the center, closer to the wolf in the center, with Jade and Karkat near the bottom. It was past dusk, and Dave could tell the humans were going to have a hard time seeing these dogs in the dim moon light. Dave had heard stories of saber wolves, though they would always have a vague description of the creatures, and for a sickening reason. He had heard they would pick off travelers at night, toying with them, teasing them like a cat would a mouse, before tearing them all to shreds. Dave recalled one story where there was a caravan of 50 human’s heading to the capital city when they were ambushed by about 15 of the saber wolves at the break of dusk. Only 3 survived the encounter, each one missing at least 1 limb. The saber wolves had been described as death’s own hounds at a point, and were sometimes said to have long fangs and bushy fur covered in the blood of their victims. Others said the hounds resembled dragons, and were part of their species (though any dragon and dragon half-blood can confirm that is NOT the case), while others thought they were spirits of the vengeful who wished to bring death to any who did them wrong. Dave, however, no longer needed to go by the stories as he was staring one down, his Ruby eyes piercing through the empty blackness of the hounds eyes. 

Just like in the stories the Saber wolves had 3 inch long fangs protruding from their mouth and looked like death. The hounds had dull coloured, scaly skin that wrapped tightly around their boney bodies. They had long horns of different shapes, with smaller, spikier ones trailing down their neck and back, towards their matted tails. The spikes were accompanied by a huge, grey, matted main which flowed from the top of its head, down the middle of its spine to connect with the furry tail of the same colour. The skin on the wolves snout had disappeared half way down, teared along the sides near where skin and muscle meet the exposed bone. There were skin and muscles still attacked to the underside of their jaws to keep its tongue from falling out, but otherwise there was little to no muscle at the end of its snout. Their ears and paws were like a normal wolves, as was the shape of their body if they weren’t nearly as tall as Dave and were skin and bones. 

Dave’s heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his system as the blood raced through his body. Dave hadn’t even registered his was changing into his full form, staring down the slobbering mutts and baring his growing fangs in the process. John had hastily grabbed his small hammer, but the half-blood knight knew he wouldn’t stand a chance with that. Dave pulled John close to him using his tail, wrapping his full wing around the smaller boy to act a shield in an attempt to protect him, he himself ready to fight. Terezi was also doing the same, changing into her stronger, more natural form, spinning on her heels with her caned sword drawn in an attempt to protect the humans near her. Kankri had pulled out a small revolver and pointed it towards the dogs, shouting, “6ack! Get 6ack!” while Rose drew her knitting needles/wand, a faint purple glow emanating from them. Jade’s hand’s had also started glowing as a warning to the dogs, the light from her hands lighting up the surrounding area. Karkat drew his sickles, swiping and cursing loudly at the dogs when they came too close to him or Jade. The hard part was that not only did they have to deal with the eleven Saber wolves surrounding them, but they had to deal with the one in the center of the circle, presumably its leader due to the bright colours along its body and the fact that it was a good foot taller than the others. Dave had turned his back on the alpha dog only for a moment, but that was all it needed. It lunged forward towards Dave, but it never hit its target, instead getting a mouthful of hammer. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” John cried out as he quickly broke free of Dave’s grasp, swinging his hammer towards the wolf. It connected with the creature’s snout, sending it flying back into the center with a low whimpering growl. “N1C3 SHOT BLU3B3RRY.” Terezi grinned as she swiped towards a circling Saber wolf. The Alpha saber wolf’s jaw had a huge crack in it, clearly visible as it snarled at John and Dave. 

He let out a blood curdling howl, everyone cringing at its shrieking note. They had little time to react as all the Saber wolves dove forward, attacking their targets. One dove for Karkat and Jade, obviously dumb enough to mess with a pissed Karkles and the witch. Three charged towards the three enraged seers, and two towards the knight and his heir. The rest circled around, waiting for the others to finish them off so they could have a meal. Dave spun around and blocked the attack from the alpha using his sword, though the creature left a huge gash along his arm from its long claws. Dave was thankful John knew how to use that hammer well, smashing the blunt end of it into the other saber hounds face. Even though Dave wasn’t paying attention, he knew Jade was using her powers due to the very prominent green glow which covered the hounds and John. John moved away from Dave to give him room since his full form was quiet larger than his human form, John fighting off the wolf who saw him as food. Dave took a chance and glanced over at the others, spotting the seers first. They were now split up, one taking on each dog. Kankri was the farthest away from the others, shooting precisely at the large creature before him, his eyes ablaze with anger. “Y9U AWFUL D9GS TRIGGERED ME!!!” He shouted, pulling the trigger of his revolver faster for emphasis, though his shots were now clumsy and missing their moving target. Rose was barely dodging the wolf’s onslaught of attacks, her magic just barely grazing its skin. She looked pissed, but Dave could also faintly pick up that she was scared. Once he himself dodged another attack from the enraged alpha and cut along the saber wolf’s side he caught a glimpse of Terezi, who was riding a wolf, her sword dug deep into its back as an anchor with a chorus of cackling laughter coming from her as the wolf spun around in an attempt to bite her. Damn TZ, way to show off. The alpha charged Dave again, but instead of doing its usual biting attack it plowed into him, knocking him off balance, into the ground. Dave only caught a glimpse of Jade using her power’s to ward off a wolf and Karkat sinking his sickle into the back of its head before he got a face full of fangs and slobber.

Dave thought quickly and brought his sword up over his face, gripping the hilt in one hand the middle of the blade with the other. The wolf surged down, biting into Dave’s sword and bending the metal with its powerful jaw. Dave’s sword was the only thing between him and this wolves mouth (though those three inch fangs were just barely away from his face), and therefore he ignored the fact that his swords blade was starting to painfully cut into his hand. The only thing that drew Dave’s attention away from the mouth full of fangs was John’s loud pained cry, which caused Dave’s head to snap to his right, dread pooling in his stomach. John was pinned under one of those Saber wolves, the one that was previously attacking him, his hammer god knows where and his left arm shielding his face from the dog’s attacks. The wolf was barking and scratching at John’s chest and arms, and due to the pain John’s hands began to glow a bright blue, the wind beginning to pick up greatly to huge gusts directed towards the dog above him. But it abruptly stopped as the dog got his left arm in its mouth and bit down hard, a resonating crack echoing through the valley followed by John painful shriek. At the smell of blood several of the other dog’s ceased their advancement on their teammates and began to make their way towards John. Something in Dave snapped. He no longer felt the blade into his hand, he no longer felt the claws scratching at his chest and tearing his clothing, he no longer felt the metal in his hand bending to the Alpha’s will. What he did feel was a surge of anger, fury, hatred, and something else course through his body at the sight of John being attacked, being defenseless, being in pain. At the sight of John’s face scrunched up in pain, blood from his arm dripping onto his tanned face to mix with the tears streaming down his face as the rest of the wolves descended upon him, Dave snapped. 

Dave felt that surge of unknown energy ball up inside him and explode in a fury of red sparks. The Alpha above him was sent launching into the air with a painful yelp, though Dave couldn’t care less. All he cared about at the moment was John. Dave had red sparks flying from him, his whole body being engulfed by a faint red glow. He felt his limbs stretch, his clothes tear, his body change in ways he’s never felt it change before, and he barely register the awestruck and scared looks on his friends faces as they turned towards the source of the red light, towards him. He let out his own blood curdling roar as he stood on his hind legs, his new body stretching and becoming complete. His clawed front feet came crashing down inches away from the Saber wolves who now surrounded John. Dave let out a low, menacing growl which rumbled up from his thick, scaled plated chest, through his long, lean neck to his well-defined snout that had smoke pouring from it. He now towered over his friends by a good three feet, ruby red scales covering his body, his feathered wings now twice the size they were before, and his tail, which was thrashing about violently, had grown just as much. The Saber wolves jerked back a few feet away from John, all of their empty, heartless eyes focusing on the fully formed dragon before them. They were no longer interested in John, who was the only thing separating the mutts from Dave, whose arm was laying limply by his side, and whose glazed over eyes were now focused on Dave. No, they were now interested in the dragon who had a lot of muscle, a lot of meat, on his body, and who wanted to tear those wolves apart with his bare hands (or paws? Claws?).

The Alpha, who Dave had previously sent flying, trudged over to the rest of his pack, standing proudly and menacingly in front of them. He let out a low growl towards Dave, though it was nothing compared to the one that was emanating from the Half-blood’s chest. Dave looked down at John, both boys locking eyes for a moment. Dave could see the pain, the worry, the fear in John’s eyes, and he knew he would get John out of here, no matter what the cost. Dave really didn’t know why he felt such strong feelings of protectiveness towards John, but at the moment he was more concerned over beating the crap out of these assholes than that fact that he could be harboring feelings for John. Dave took a step forward, his growling growing louder as the wolves also advanced towards him, towards John. Dave’s eye’s flicked over to Rose’s and held her gaze, the seer giving him a curt nod in acknowledgment before she turned to the other’s, shouting over the deafening rumble emanating from the wolves and Dave. Knowing that the wolves were now after him, and only him, Dave dove to the side, away from John and the others out towards the barren field. He hoped Rose and the other could get John to safety. The Saber wolves, with a cry from their leader, charged after him. Dave had never been in his full dragon form before, heck it was practically unheard of for a half-blood to change into their full form besides their human one, and therefore, he was stumbling over his two front feet, constantly trying to stand upright and looking like a fish out of water. Once he stopped and turned to face the onslaught of Saber wolves he wasn’t expecting them to be right on his heels. They jumped and pounced and charged at him, Dave only being able to block so many attacks at a time. Only about 5 were attacking him at a time, the other’s circling him to find a possible weak point. Dave brought his left paw up and swiped to the side when another wolf pounced, knocking the creature onto the group. Within seconds Dave was atop the wolf, letting his instincts take over. He opened his jaw wide, effectively taking the top half of the flailing wolf in his mouth, his teeth shredding through its soft flesh. He lifted his head and shook it violently side to side, the wolf still locked securely in his mouth. He continued to shake his head to rip the wolf apart as other’s attacked him, his tail whipping them and sending them flying, or his claws leaving gashes along their sides as he did his best to dodge their attacks. With one final jerk the Wolf was torn in two, the lower half launching out into the field. One down, 10 to go. 

However as Dave spit out the rest of the wolf from his mouth, he didn’t notice the alpha sneak around to be situated behind him, in his blind spot. Dave felt a surge of pain jolt through him as the Saber wolf jumped on his back and clamped its jaw down on his left shoulder blade, near his wing. He let out a pained cry, twisting his head and neck to try and snap at the wolf to no avail. The other wolves took this distraction, all of them lunging forward to attack him at the same time. They latched onto his legs, his wing, his tail, tearing through his flesh with those 3 inch incisors. Dave growled out of frustration (and pain). He brought his tail up in the air, 3 Fucking wolves covered in his crimson blood hanging from it, their teeth buried in his flesh. He slammed his tail downwards, making sure those wolves were under it as it connected with the ground, a satisfying SPLAT and CRUNCH coming from those Saber wolves. Dave smirked, obviously pleased with himself due to the fact that only one out of the three dogs stood after he removed his tail from over their bodies. However this satisfaction was short lived as he felt another surge of pain go through him, emanating from the back of his neck. Shitshitshitshitshit, this isn’t good, not at fucking all. The alpha, who Dave had momentarily forgot about, now had its teeth sunk deep into the back of Dave throat, making his movements with his head and neck limited. Dave stood on his hind legs and fell backwards, body slamming the alpha into the ground with all his weight. Take that bitch!

Dave didn’t think too carefully about his whole “fall-onto-your-back-and-body-slam-a-bitch” plan as he was quickly over run by the wolves, his softer skin on his underbelly now exposed. The wolves began to big at his stomach, chest, ribs, legs and throat. He let out pained cries and growls, launching some wolves 20 feet in the air with a harsh kick or whip of his tail. When the alpha, who had been very hurt, but not killed (fuck!), crawled out from underneath the flailing, fighting Dave, it immediately went for his stomach, and began to rip him open. Dave soon found himself becoming weaker and weaker, his vision becoming splotchy due to the amount of blood loss he was experiencing. He soon found it harder to move his limbs, and he could barely hear the faint cries of panic and worry from his friends. Just as he laid down, all fight gone from him and his form turning back into his half-blood one, hooves beating across the ground could be heard in the distance (or was it just a few feet away? Dave couldn’t really tell). He felt the claws, the teeth, and the weight of the Saber wolves on him dissipate, loud whines of pain and growls mixing with loud shouting and louder hooves on the ground. But it all suddenly stopped, except for the worried cries and shouts from his friends. Dave did his best to open his eyes, and when he did he could barely move them it took so much energy. In front of him laid the corpses of several of the Saber wolves, including the alpha, broken skulls and ribs evident on their mangled bodies. Standing above them looked to be a horse, but when Dave’s eyes slowly looked up, he saw the horse’s body was connected with a male’s torso. He strained to look up further, where he saw dark blue eyes, long black hair and very tanned skin. “D --> Oh dear, you are in horrendous condition,” said the centaur in front of him as it knelled down to get a better view of Dave, “D --> Do not fret, you are safe. We’ll make sure you’re STRONG again.”

With that reassurance Dave let his eye lids fall once more, faint sounds of “Horrus, we need to get this Half-bl00d to safety” and “Dave! Oh God Dave!!!” reaching his ear’s before silence and darkness welcomed him.

 

================================

 

Dave’s eye’s fluttered open, an animal pelt ceiling and a warm feeling at his side greeting him. “Where the fuck am I….” Dave murmured as he tried to recall how he got here. He remembered being with his friends. The sun had set, then Karkat screamed and-  
Dave shot upright at the memory of the saber wolves, at him turning into a full fucking dragon, at John being hurt. John. “John!” Dave shouted, though it soon turned into a hiss of pain, large gashes, scrapes and bite marks along his body making themselves well known from his swift movement. “Fuuuuuck,” Dave growled out as he fell back onto the soft fur bed. Before he could say anything thing else, or shout for John again, there was movement beside him, a hand soon resting on his cheek. “Oh my god, Dave you’re alright!” John whispered, his voice sounding scratchy, most likely from crying. Dave carefully turned his head to the side, the bites and scratches along his neck making the movement a monumental task. He soon found himself face to face with John, their faces inches away from each other. Turns out that warmth next to Dave was none other than the Dork himself, a fire a few feet away warming up the small tent. John was lying beside Dave on his side, and from the dim light from the fire Dave could see the tear tracks down John’s face. Damn it was a sad sight. John’s arm was wrapped up, a little bit a red soaking through the white fabric. This prompted Dave to look down as his own body, which was still in its half-human hald-dragon form, covered in gauze. He also saw he wasn’t wearing any clothes aside from a cloth laying across his hips. Dave flushed a deep red, turning back to John, trying to ignore the fact he was practically butt naked. “Of course I survived John,” Dave began with a slight smirk, “I’m a Strider, we don’t take anyone’s shit.” However, instead of getting a punch in the shoulder and a laugh from the boy next to him he instead got tears and a tight hug. “I was really scared Dave. I was so fucking scared that you died…” John barely whispered, his grip on Dave tightening at the last word. Dave did his best to move his arms, draping them limply over John’s shoulders for a semi hug. “Shit- man, dude, bro, John I didn’t mean to make you cry or worry you shit.” Dave rambled, nuzzling closer to John in an attempt to comfort him. 

John pulled back and looked Dave straight in the eye, a stern yet sad expression on his face. “Why did you do it?” Dave sighed, resting his head back on the soft pillows, “You mean why I flipped my shit and turn into a bad ass Dragon?” John nodded and gave Dave a slight smile, which Dave counts as a victory. “Well,” he said with a shrug, “I did it because of you I guess? I guess when I saw the wolves going for you I tried to protect you.” John’s eyes widen a fraction before they narrowed angrily. “You nearly got yourself killed because of me??!! What were you thinking?!” John shouted, obviously pissed and angry, “Why would you do something like that??!! I thought you were dead Dave!! Why did you-!” “Because your my best fucking friend and I wasn’t about to stand around while you get mauled to death!!!” Dave yelled back, sitting up fully despite the pain to stare John down face to face. Both boy glared at each other for a few moments, the only thing breaking their eye contact was the tears welling up in John’s eyes. Fuck, why did he make John cry so much?? Without a word Dave leaned forward and draped his weak arms around John’s shoulders again, trying to hug him despite the pain. John immediately returned the gesture, mumbling a small “sorry” into Dave’s collar bone when Dave rested his head atop John’s. Dave hummed, nuzzling into John’s soft, raven hair. They stayed like this for what felt like seconds before John began to giggle, fucking giggle. Dave rolled his eyes and smiled into the other’s hair, “What’s so funny Egderp?” Dave could feel John smiling into his neck, “Pft, Your purring Dave!” Dave then registered the slight vibrations coming from his chest, but when he tried to stop it he found he couldn’t. Fuck. Usually he’s able to control that type of shit, but apparently not now considering he’s barely able to hug John. “What are you talking about John?” Dave grinned as John pulled away to look up confusedly at Dave, “I don’t purr, if anything It’s my stomach growling.” John pouted at that answer, putting his ear right against Dave’s chest to listen to the growing sound (which was only growing because he had his face pressed up against Dave’s bare chest). “Bullshit! You’re definitely purring!” John exclaimed as he pulled away from Dave’s chest, punching the other in the shoulder playfully. Dave winched at the contact as it bothered his wounds, causing John to gasp and swear, “Oh shit Dave I’m so sorry!!” John said, his hands hovering over Dave’s shoulder, “I didn’t- I forgot- shit I’m so, so sorry!” Dave rolled his eyes, not liking that he was being treated like he was china glass. “Dude relax, I’m not a fragile flower, I’m a mighty dragon! I’m pretty sure I can handle a little punch.” John’s frown turned into a smile as he flicked Dave on the forehead, earning a glare from the other boy. “Ow what the fuck was that for?!” John jumped up off the bed and raised his hands in the air, grinning like an idiot, “I just defeated a mighty dragon! His weakness: being flicked on the forehead!” Dave smirked, two can play at that game.

Dave moved his tail out from underneath himself, and once John turned around, he whacked him on the side of the head. John yelped in surprise, spinning around while grabbing the offended side, looking towards Dave’s tail and then his face, which had a wide, smug grin on it. “Why you-!” John began, getting ready to pounce on Dave and probably wrestle when the curtain to the tent opened, the centaur with long hair peering in. Dave and John each looked towards him (Dave noticing that it was still dark out) when the man cleared his throat. “D --> I hope I am not interrupting anything, but your seer of light would like to speak with you both.” John gave the centaur a small smile, “Thank you Equius! Where is Rose anyways?” The centaur, who Dave now knows is named Equius, nodded over his shoulder, “D --> she’s at the Portal which leads to the Void. She is very STRONG for facing the creatures which lurk there.” Equius looked past John towards Dave, “D --> Is your friend able to walk Mr. Egbert?” John nodded, “I, uh, think so.” The raven haired boy looked behind himself towards Dave, rubbing the side of his head that Dave hit with his tail. “If he’s strong enough to hit me with his tail, then he’s strong enough to stand!” Dave let out a small laugh as John and Equius exited tent so he could change into a pair of black shorts. He couldn’t put on a top because of his wings nor could he change into his human form due to all the wounds. When he first stood he found himself falling back onto the bed, but after a few more attempts he was able to stand, though he was not steady. 

He carefully walked over and pushed the flap of the tent open, revealing a large cluster of Tents and centaurs, the only thing being out of place being John, who was chatting away with Equius beside the tent. There were large torches stuck into the ground, eliminating the area around the tents. John was the first to notice Dave, walking around Equius to get to the weak half-blood. “Whoa, ok, you look like shit. Maybe you shouldn’t be walking.” John said as he hooked an arm around Dave’s waist to support him, bring the other’s arm over his own shoulder. Dave hated that he was being treated like he was fragile, but being too tired and weak to argue he let John guild him to Equius, and let him help him up onto the centaurs back. Dave did his best to stay upright as Equius began to walk after seeing how sweaty he was. There was no way in hell he was about to get centaur sweat on him. John strolled along side Equius and Dave as they walked through the large encampment, this probably being the largest in miles. “So, uh, are you the leader of this encampment?” Dave question as he looked around at the other centaurs, all of which were stopping what they were doing to stare at them. Equius shook his head looking over his shoulder towards Dave. “D --> No, I am not the leader of this e%cellent herd, however I am the next in line to take the reins. My brother Horuss would rather spend his time creating robotic parts and contraptions, though I also take a particular STRONG interest in robotics as well.” “Ok…,” Dave looked down at John, realizing he’s the only one in their group he has actually seen so far. “Yo, Egderp, where’s the rest of our team?” John hummed, shrugging, “I think they’re with Rose. I sort of split off from our group to go with you to make sure you were ok. I don’t remember where they were heading, but I guess they went to the Void Portal…?” John stated the last line as a question, looking towards Equius, who nodded. “D --> They are all at the Portal. I was sent to get you after Mrs. Lalonde found out you were waking up.” Dave quirked a brow at that. “Wait so she had a vision of me waking up? That seems kind of stupid, wasting your powers on seeing if someone’s done taking a nap or whatever.” “D --> She did not have a vision,” Equius began, his brow furrowed, “She said she had begun to hear voices, and without even giving her directions she had found the portal on her own. I believe she in communicating with whatever creatures neigh on the other side.” Dave sighed, “Yep that sounds like Lalonde alright. Freaky as fuck.” 

Equius lead them through the large encampment to an open space in the valley were ragged rocks jutted out of the earth’s normally smooth surface. Behind the rocks was a small cave, which had a steep sloop inside, leading down, down towards nothing. As soon as Equius stepped into the tunnels entrance with Dave on his back the Dragon half-blood felt an unsettling feeling wash over him, making him queasy. A glance over at John told him he wasn’t the only one in discomfort as John was incredibly pale, his bright blue eyes looking around uncertainly. They descended the tunnel in silence, the only sounds between them being their breaths and Equius’ hooves clicking across the stone floor. Their silence was broken by the sounds of faint talking in the distance, though there was only once voice and it sounded like gibberish. Equius pick up his pace, causing John to job beside him. The tunnel opened up into a fairly large room, all of the stalagmites and stalactites pointing towards the center of the room, towards to eerie, black glowing pool situated at its center. Dave glanced to the side to see Terezi, Kankri, Karkat and Jade all huddled together, staring at the swirling, black pool (or portal). Dave followed their eyes to the portal, towards the voice that was speaking gibberish. Seated at the base of the pool, her face resting inside the swirling vortex, was Rose. The gibberish was emanating from the pool, and if Dave was correct, it was Rose’s voice. Dave carefully dismounted Equius, who was also watching in awestruck fear. John followed closely behind Dave as they tiptoed over to Jade and the others. “What the shit is she doing?” Dave whispered as he crouched next to Jade, who turned to give him a relieved smile. “I, um, don’t really know,” She began, her smile dropping as she turned back to Rose, “She’s been going between asking us questions to doing, well… this!” Jade gestured to Rose, who was bent over the portal with her whole face submerged. Dave frowned, “Equius said she may be talking with the creatures on the other side…” Karkat nodded, “WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF SHE IS. WHAT WITH ALL HER TALK ABOUT HER FUCKING TUTORS AND SHIT. SHE’S FUCKIGN INSANE.” Kankri gave Karkat a pointed stare, “N9w Karkat, she already t9ld us she’s trying t9 help us by d9ing this. Please refrain fr9m calling her insane. It might trigger her.” Karkat rolled his eyes, grumbling “I’LL TRIGGER SOMEONE ALRIGHT FUCKASS” before falling silent. 

Dave stood from his crouching position, his curiosity getting the better of him. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU BULDGE FUCKER??” Karkat hissed out as Dave began to walk towards Rose, “WHY ARE YOU WALKING TOWARDS A SWIRLING POOL OF FUCKING DEATH???” Dave rolled his eyes, pointedly ignoring Karkat’s protests as he walked towards the portal and Rose. He noticed that the jagged rocks on the floor and wall’s looked like small, rough waves, causing him to wonder just how long this Portal has been here. The closer he got to it the more he could feel a monstrous presence looming over him, as well as his body being drawn to the Portal. His chest began to tighten with worry and his shoulders felt heavier than they already were, his steps becoming more hesitant the closer he got. As he come up beside Rose the pool began to glow, startling him. Oh shit, did I just fuck up??? Dave thought as the gibberish ceased and Rose began to stir. Rose began to lift her head, the black ooze from the portal dripping from her face, her eyes a glowing white. She sat up fully, turning towards Dave as the darkness dissipated from her skin (possibly even being absorbed into it), her eye’s fluttering shut before opening again to reveal her normal, vibrant violet irises. She had a smug smile on her black painted lips, a plan behind those violet eyes.

“Well hello there David, I think we need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment and If you guys have any fanart leave a link in the comments below! ^w^ 
> 
> Have a great day/night!


	18. The Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose shows everyone how useful her link to dark Magic can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS IS SO, SO LATE OMG I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE ;M; 
> 
> The past two weeks for me have been absolutely hectic, and throughout I had had very little time to work on this chapter (which was going to be longer but I decided to break it up into two completely separate chapters since it would be waaaaaay too long and I was already very, very late). I hope you guys know I do my best to stick to posting chapters within or around a week, and that if I'm ever this late again it's probably because I haven't had enough time to work on it through the week. ;m;
> 
> Once again I'm truly sorry for the lateness of this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it! ^w^
> 
> ALSO YOU GUYS ARE TOTALLY AMAZING!!! WE'VE REACHED OVER 1000 HITS!!! I(^W^)I THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME AND LEFT INSPIRATION COMMENTS!!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!

Has John ever mentioned how fucking scary Rose can be?

No? Well he just wants to put it out there that Rose can be really fucking scary. Especially when she’s raising out of a dark, swirly pool that supposedly has giant monsters in it. 

John had stayed back when Dave went to check out Rose, and now that Rose had a knowing smirk on her lips and Dave looked like a spooked deer, he’d say something’s about to go down. 

“JOHN, IT’S OFFICAL,” Karkat began in a small whisper shout as he semi-glared, semi cowered at the scene in front of them, “ALL FEMALES ARE FUCKING INSANE. I HAVE PROOF EGBERT, I HAVE FUCKING PROOF RIGHT FUCKING THERE!” Karkat gestured rapidly towards Rose as he looked at John, who was watching Dave and Rose talking quietly. John turned to Karkat as he rolled his eyes at the other’s antics, “Oh come on Karkat, Rose isn’t THAT bad!” 

“Oh, but on the contrary, contacting immortal beasts tainted with darkness usually is considered quite ‘bad’”

John swore everyone in a mile radius jumped in surprises when Rose spoke up, standing directly behind Karkat nonchalantly. “HOLY FUCKING SHIT YOU ARE THE SPAWN OF LORD ENGLISH HOLY FUCK!!!” Karkat exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, soon bracing himself against the cave’s wall as he clutched at his chest, breathing rapidly, “YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK YOU BULDGE EATER, HOLY SHIT.” As Jade stood and went to help the now hyperventilating Karkat, John looked up at Rose, trying to suppress his nervous laugh as he said, “Rose, I think you nearly gave Karkat a heart attack.” The Seer smirked back, not missing a beat as she responded, “So I’ve heard.” It only took John two more seconds to register that, A) Rose was with Dave a few seconds ago, and B) how the heck did she get all the way over here so fast??! His thoughts must have shown on his face as Rose’s knowing smirk widen, her violet eye’s flicking back over to Dave, who was staring wide eyed at both of them. In less than a second a Dark, swirly portal appeared under Rose, who fell through it gracefully. Not a moment after she disappeared from sight did another portal appear beside Dave, Rose elegantly and smoothly landing on her feet. Everyone was gaping at the Seer, whose black painted lips curled up into a grin. “I suppose you can say I’ve solved our traveling problem…” 

John jumped to his feet, rushing over to Rose and Dave with wide eyes. “Holy shit, how did you do that Rose?! Is that how you snuck up on Karkat and scared the shit out of him?” John asked eagerly, a devious grin spreading across his face, “Oh man you need to teach me how to do that. I could pull off sooooooo many pranks using that!” Dave rolled his eyes at John while Rose snickered under her breath.

“Dude, if you snuck up on me like that you would be missing your two dorky buck teeth in less than 2 seconds flat.” Dave said, crossing his arms at the grinning John. “Oh shush Dave! My teeth are NOT dorky!” He turned to Rose, his goofy attitude now replaced with a questioning one. “But seriously Rose, how DID you do that? Like, how can someone even move that fast?” She sighed, the smile fading from her face as she turned to the large, glowing Void portal next to them. “You know the ones that I refer to as my ‘tutors’, the ones that thoroughly creeped out Mr. Vantas?” Both boys nodded, allowing Rose to continue, “Well, I suppose he had a right to be ‘creeped’ by them. My tutors are the creatures known as Horror Terrors, the ones that dwell within the void of the planet that was once inhabited by mystical beings…,” Rose paused, turning towards Dave and giving him an apologetic look, one which was returned with one of confusion. Rose sighed, “Though I suppose, given your current age, that you do not remember such a world, do you David?” Dave shook his head, his mouth drawing into a thin line. “No… I don’t.” Rose frowned, obviously not pleased. “Well, do you KNOW anything about it? Heard tales or stories among other Half-bloods?” Dave nodded at that, though he still looked tensed. “Yeah… yeah I did. It was some awesome place apparently, but then Lord Asshole decided to kick us out and blow the thing up.” Dave chuckled, his red eyes growing fond (John liked that look in Dave’s eyes… Platonically though, of course…). “Hell, I remember my Bro telling me all those fucking stories. He would usually say something along the lines of ‘bro, if you don’t get in bed in the next two seconds I swear I will call lord English myself and send him to whoop your ass.’ That worked till I was like, 200 or whatever.” Wait, what?! 

“200??!!” John exclaimed, looking between Rose and Dave like the world was blowing up. This caused the (really fucking old) Half-blood to cock a brow at him. “Uh, yeah? What’s wrong with that?” “You’re over 200 years old!” John said again, disbelief written in his features. It was Roses turn to respond. “Yes Johnathan, Dave here is over 200 years old.” She said as if it was no big deal, “If what I have learned in my studies of mythological creatures, David here can live to be past 10,000, a mere percent of what a full-fledged dragon can achieve.” …10,000… Dave can live to be over 10,000 years old. John couldn’t help it as his mind wondered to a really old Dave who would try to still act cool and tell kids some bull shit stories just so they would think he’s cool (even though is totally is!). John couldn’t help but laugh under his breath at the mental picture of Dave kicking some peoples asses for even calling him old. John grinned at Dave. “Man, you’re old.” This earned him a glare. “Oh yeah? Well you’re a baby, Egderp.” “But am I a cute baby? That is the real question.” 

“Ahem,” Rose cleared her throat, drawing the two smiling boy’s attentions. “Even though I would LOVE to hear how this conversation will turn out, I suggest we regroup so I may inform them of my plan.” John’s smile faded into a more concerned one. “And you plan is….?” 

Rose just smiled at him before walking towards everyone at the edge of the Cave, Karkat looking absolutely mortified.

================================

John was now seated beside Dave inside the large, warm tented offered to them by Equius. Karkat and Jade were sitting beside Dave, with Terezi and Kankri on the other side of John. Horrus, Equius’ older brother, was standing near the exit, watching as Rose composed herself in the center. 

“PLEASE TELL ME WHATEVER FUCKING REASON YOU BROUGHT US ALL HERE ISN’T RELATED TO THAT FUCKING BLACK HOLE IN THE SHITTY CAVE.” Karkat grumbled, crossing his arms at Rose. Said Seer was un-phased, responding with an eerie smile, “Well then I’m sorry to disappoint Karkat, since this meeting is, in fact, about that.” Rose paused, scanning their small group uncertainly. “As you all know, we will not make it to the temple of Breath at the speed we are going. It will take us months to reach it, months which we do not have.” She glanced to the side, towards Horrus, who was watching intently and curiously. “After Horrus and Equius saved us from those Saber wolves and brought us back to their encampment, I was feeling a strong pull at the back of my mind, one which I knew I could not ignore. This is why I drifted towards the cave, towards the Portal, and why I dipped my head under that blackness. I did it because my teachers were calling to me, beckoning me to their world in my physical form.” “Holy shit…” John heard himself mutter under his breath, that’s really, really creepy. Karkat agreed with John, though unlike John, he voiced his opinion. “HOLY FUCKING SHIT, ARE YOU TELLING ME THOSE FUCKERS WERE ‘CALLING’ TO YOU????” Karkat shrieked, his eyes narrowing at Rose, “YOU BETTER NOT HAVE MADE SOME FUCKED UP DEAL WITH THEM ON MY BEHALF OR SO FUCKING HELP ME I WILL KICK YOUR ASS.” 

Jade whacked the back of Karkat’s head, earning her a slight scowl. “Shush Karkat! Let Rose finish or else I’LL kick YOUR ass!” With a small huff Karkat shut up, allowing Rose to continue.

“As I was saying, they were summoning me. So far I have only met them in my dreams, their forms blurry and their world ever shifting in my mind. However, when I dipped my head into the portal, I was breaching the surface of another, only this one was within the Void. The void looked like our world, only it was ash covered with darkness dripping from every crack in the sky and ground. It was… quite unsettling.” Rose looked at Terezi and then to Dave, an apologetic look like before once again taking over her noble features. She sighed, looking away. “Before me were several Horror Terrors, or as I know them, my teachers. They informed me that I was on the edge of the void, and that everything around me use to be their home. These creatures…,” She turned to the two half-bloods, “These creatures were from your old world, and the very place which houses the void is what remains of it.” Terezi’s usually wide and offsetting grin flattened into a frown, and Dave sat quietly, staring downwards at the ground beneath them. John looked over at Dave. Dave was totally upset, and he was trying to hide it by looking at the floor like it was the most interesting thing ever. John wasn’t having any of it. 

He wrapped his arms around Dave’s shoulders, causing the other to jolt before relaxing into his welcoming touch. Dave smiled, and John grinned triumphantly. He continued to hug Dave even though he received a few weird looks (mostly odd smiles) from everyone around them. Rose smiled fondly at them before she continued. “My teachers know of our predicament, and have offered to help us reach the temple within a few hours.”  
Karkat, once again, was not very pleased.

“WAIT, WAIT, HOLD THE FUCK UP.” He shouted (for the bazillionth time in who knows how long), “ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THESE FUCKING SAVAGE BEASTS HAVE OFFERED TO HELP US? HOW THE FUCK DO THEY PLAN ON DOING THAT?! AND WHAT DO THEY WANT IN RETURN FOR HELPING A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES REACH SOME BIG ASS TEMPLE?” Dave nodded, looking up at Rose. “I really hate having to agree with Mr. ‘shouts out my ass’ over here, but Karkles has a point. Do they, like, want the blood of a virgin or some shit as payment? Because if they do, I’m pretty sure John won’t want his blood taken and offered to some dark gods or whatever.” “Hey!” John let go and slapped the grinning Dave on the leg, scowling as his smug grin widened. Asshole. 

Rose rolled her eyes at their antics. “No, they do not want ‘virgin blood’, though I suspect you are just as much a candidate for bloodletting as John would be.” Now it was John’s turn to grin as Dave pouted at Rose, who rolled her eyes once more. “And besides, they are not asking anything from us.” She looked at every, her expression grave. “They are only hoping we may be able to stop Lord English. They may have been born from his taint, however they are threatened by Lord English just as much as we are. He seeks to destroy all beings and all worlds, including the void itself. These creatures are SCARED, and are hoping we, a bunch of teenagers, may stop him. This is not a gesture which they will want repayment for. No, this is a plea, a plea for us to succeed.” Everyone was silent. John stared at Rose with wide eyes, a million thoughts racing through his head. Rose’s teachers, which happen to be giant monsters and are super frickin powerful, are SCARED. And they want us to protect them. Holy shit.

“MRS. GR4P3, YOU DO PR3S3NT 4 V3RY MOV1NG C4S3,” Terezi said, drawing John out of his thoughts as stood up, placing her hands behind her back in a very professional manner, “4ND 1, FOR ON3, 4M SOLD. HOW3V3R, 1 W1SH TO KNOW HOW TH3S3 F34RFUL B34ST 1NT3ND ON S3ND1NG US S3V3R4L HUNDR3D M1L3S 1N 4 M4TT3R OF HOURS.” Rose smiles, “Well its quiet simple, Mrs. Pyrope. Time and space in the void moves differently than it does here. We can cross hundreds of miles within hours if we focus on our destination, or only a few feet in many days if we lack knowledge of it. Once we enter the Portal my Teachers will be waiting, and they will guild us through the void so we do not… have any difficulties.” Kankri raises his hand like he’s at school and wants to ask a question, and with a nod from Rose he speaks up. “I must admit, this is a very daring plan R9se, h9wever I am c9ncerned ab9ut 9ur mental health and sta6ility. It is a well kn9wn fact that pe9ple wh9 enter such p9rtals g9 mad 9r insane. I d9 n9t wish f9r my 6r9ther, 9r any 9f us, t9 be put thr9ugh that.” The Seer of Light turns on her heels, beckoning everyone to follow her out the tent, Kankri’s question unanswered. John and Dave look at each other, John gulping down a lump of fear that had balled itself up in his throat. Dave’s eyes are wide too, but both he and John, along with everyone else, stands and follows the Seer out of the large Tent, out into the brisk dawn. 

Once they had reached the Cave and descended down to the Void Portal, Rose had stepped to its edge, her toe just dipping within the swirling, black liquid. Everyone stayed tentatively away from her and the portal, even though the inevitable was going to happen. “The very reason as to why the void will not turn us mad,” Rose said mystically as she turned to everyone, her back to the now glowing portal, “is that it knows it will not survive without us.”  
And with that, she fell backwards, the portal glowing and consuming her, sending her to the world which will never see daylight.

John felt his throat tighten up as he eyed where Rose just disappeared to. He didn’t like this idea. Not at fucking all. Buuuuut it was true that they would never make the temple on time, and it was also true Rose was someone John would trust with his life. God he just hoped she was right. 

He began stepping towards the dark, goopy portal. John noticed how it began to swirl fast upon his approach, its surface shining slightly as if welcoming him into its dark embrace. Geez, what a nice thought. Not. He sighed, his toes just dipping over the edge into the portal. John felt someone walk up beside him and lay their arm around his shoulders, and when he turned to his left, he was greeted with scorching red eyes.

“Ready to take the plunge Egderp?” Dave asked as he looked at John with a smirk. John rolled his eyes, “Pft, of course Dave, I live for this kind of stuff. Couldn’t you tell?” “Oh really?” The grin that Dave was now sporting was mischievous, and John only had a split second to react before the arm around his shoulders was pushing him off balance, towards the Portal, Dave saying (quite smugly), “In that case, Ladies first”. The Bastard! John, not going down without a fight, spun around just as he felt himself falling towards the portal. He grabbed the arm that pushed him, yanking Dave down with him, said boy giving a surprised yelp. 

John felt himself crash into the glowing substance which made up the portal, his vision going black and his ears ringing loud in his ears. He felt like he was floating yet being weighed down at the same time, his chest full of air but at the same time empty. The substance around him felt like needles and a welcoming blanket, and he was thoroughly freaked out at his senses continued to fight with themselves. He felt himself being pushed and pulled, he felt himself being crushed and torn apart, and he felt the world spin and stay motionless all at the same time. This, thank you whatever merciful god is out there, only lasted a split second before John broke the surface of the portal on the other side. 

He was flung backwards onto the ashen ground from the portal above (which was 3 feet off the ground and angled slightly towards it), Dave not far behind him. John’s head was spinning from the experience, his eyes screwed shut due to the pounding in his head and the pain of his body being thrown to the ground. He heard Dave grunt next to him, though it sounded muffed, probably by the ground (good, because if it wasn’t John was going to make that asshole eat dirt anyways). John, with the remainder of his energy, lifted his arm that was closets to Dave, and letting it fall limp onto his (ex)best bro with a good thud (and a muffled, drawn out “oooooooow”). “Dave…,” John groaned as his head slowly began to stop spinning, “You… are a total… asshole.” Dave grunted an affirmative, obviously regretting his existence and every decision leading up to this point (John sure as hell knew he was). “You better fucking run,” he continued as his blue eyes began to open, looking to his left to see Dave, belly down in the ash covered ground, “Because so help me… If I get my hands on you, I will personally ring your stupid neck.” Dave just groaned into the ground as a response, not making a move to run away from a very pissed off John.

However, before John could roll over to Dave (seeing as how walking would take too much energy) and strangle him for being such an asshole, a figure loomed over him, one he clearly recognised as Rose. Well, sort of.

Rose’s skin was a dark grey, her violet eyes nothing but pure light, though John could sense she was looking down at him. Her golden dress now shining brightly against her ashen skin with drops of goop speckling the bottom. “Noscere Johnathan videre,” Rose said in an unfamiliar language and voice, a soft smile on her face as she turned from John to the belly down Dave, “et Davidis.” John quirked a brow at Rose, very confused. “Uh, Rose? Why do you sound so… strange?” Rose backed away from John as he sat up with a groan, his senses still shocked and fuzzy. John looked behind him at Rose, and Dave, obviously reluctantly, pushed his head out of the ash which scattered the ground, propping himself up on his elbows. “Yeah Lalonde, why do you sound like you’re in a fucking canyon, out in the middle of far away land, shouting loudly so your voice echoes like five thousand fucking times.” Dave grumbled, glaring at Rose, “Like seriously, getting here fucking sucked, and my ears haven’t stopped ringing. Fucking hell my head feels like its getting smashed into stone.” Rose rolled her eyes at Dave, not impressed. “Et id quidem etiam si quid stulte morionem limina circum.” Rose chided, and John, somehow (???) could understand bits and pieces of what she was saying. He thinks she called Dave stupid, and told him not to play around portals. “What the hell?” John said out loud as he looked at Rose dumbfounded, “Holy shit, did you, like, tell Dave to not dick around or whatever and that he’s an idiot?” Rose nodded, stating rather quickly, “Etiam Johnathan, fecit. Miratus sum, quod non poterant audire me. Inane strange.There admodum ingens scientia intus, cogitationibus et scientia sortilegos transvectos saepius per abstracta principia noscere, quae ad animum. Hoc est somnium. Satis ignotae notitiam dabit intelligere conceptus, ut aliena lingua autem verba nisi condimentum dolor, vel etiam singulis, fiet blur ignoti.” Thinking he somehow understood the language, John focused really hard on what Rose was saying, only to make his head hurt and everything Rose said a jumble mess in his brain. “Uh, ok, what?” He said, rubbing at his now pounding head.

“Dude, she was just explain how the fuck we were able to understand her, weren’t you semi-listening?” Dave said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. John frowned (slightly scowling) at Dave, “Yes I was! I was focusing really hard on what she was saying because I thought I could understand it! But it only gave me a really bad headache.” Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Dave held his hand up, cutting her off.

Dave pushed himself up into a sitting position, where he began to make radical hand gestures as he explained how this whole thing works. “Ok, listen up Egbuns, I’m only explaining this once. Rose Just said that this shit hole works weirdly. Like, it loans you knowledge and shit and you need to be open minded. And It’s also like a fucking dream ok? That’s the metaphor she used so I’m going to use it, ok? Ok. Anyways, it’s like a dream, and like, you can’t really focus on things too much, or else they’ll become fuzzy or blurry or whatever, and you won’t understand them. So like, when she first started speaking, I guess you were half listening half not? And with the void shoveling random knowledge into your head, you were able to pick up bits and pieces. But since you focused too much I guess your brain didn’t understand shit of what she was saying.” John nodded slowly, taking that all in. Huh, that’s pretty weird. “Hey Dave,” John asked, curiously, “How the hell did you understand all that?” Dave shrugged, “I never listen to her always, usually block her out. But apparently here, that’s like listening to everything she fucking says and taking notes. And let me tell you, it’s getting annoying really fast.” Rose walked over to Dave gracefully, whacking him upside the head before saying with a smug smile, “Crede mihi David se sentire.” 

John did his best to focus on the ‘big picture’ instead of little details, like what Rose was saying. ‘Trust me David, the feeling is mutual,’ were the words that echoed in his head. Huh, that’s pretty cool! 

Rose stood straight, her eyes glowing brighter for a few moments before she turned to Dave, picking him up by the back of his shirt’s collar, and lifting him up off the ground effortlessly. “Hey! What the fuck?!” He growled as Rose began to float, moving away from the portal and the laughing John, Dave kicking in her grip. “Videbis... (You will see…),” Rose hummed at the pissed off Dave, who pouted in her hold. Not a moment later, Karkat was shooting out of the portal, landing directly where Dave use to be, cursing loudly. “HOLY FUCKIGN SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED TO ME??” He shouted as he clasped his head in his hands. John’s laughing grew more intense, though he was stopped abruptly when Rose, also, picked him up by the back of his collar, moving him away just seconds before Kankri came tumbling out of the portal, clenching his stomach and looking rather pale. “My senses feel… rather vi9lated 6y the p9rtals antics…” He murmured as he clenched his stomach slightly tighter. “Welcome to the club.” Dave huffed as he was set down onto the ashy ground, John placed next to him. Dave looked between Karkat and Kankri, who were both laying on the ground. “Yo, Vantas’, where the fuck is TZ and Jade?”

And then, as if on cue, Terezi and Jade tumbled out of the oozing portal. Terezi did a little back flip, not fazed by the portal as she landed on the ground between the two brothers, striking a pose with a smug, toothy grin. Jade, however, landed unceremoniously on top of poor, poor Karkat’s back, knocking the air out of him. “HOLY SHIT,” Karkat gasped, clawing at the ground as he was trapped under the dizzy Jade. “Uh…,” Jade groaned, leaning back so she was back to back with the wheezing Karkat, “My head hurts….” Karkat looked over his shoulder, scowling at Jade (though John was sure he saw Karkat blushing, but maybe that’s just from his headache). “HARLEY, EVERYONES FUCKED UP FROM THAT PORTAL,” Karkat paused, glancing over at the grinning Terezi before continuing, “CORRECTION, EVERYONE WHOSE FUCKING NORMAL WAS FUCKED UP BY THAT PORTAL. YOU HAVE NOT RIGHT TO PLOP YOUR ASS (nope that’s definitely blush! Hehehe!) ON ME AND TAKE A FUCKIGN NAP!” Jade rolled her eyes, her wolf ears flattening against her head as she crossed her arms and huff. “Oh stop it Karkat, your being a big baby!” Karkat frowned, grumbling back, “I AM NOT A FUCKING BABY, BUT YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE? A BITCH, LITERALLY…” With that, Jade sat up on his back, twisting her body so she was looking at the back of his head while she proceeded to flick his head as payback. Thankfully Rose intervened, picking Jade up by her collar and lifting her off of Karkat while clasping a hand over the latter’s mouth as he went to shout at Jade. “Iam, iam, liberos pugnare. (Now, now children, no need to fight.)” 

Jade looked at Rose curiously, tilting her head to the side like a little, questioning puppy. “Uh, Rose, you look different. And by different I mean grey skin and glow-y eyes different.” Rose snickered as she puy Jade down, “Quod est quia conversus sum GrimDark. Quia conversus sum Grimdark ... (That is because I've turned GrimDark. I've turned Grimdark because of my connection to the void and the creatures which dwell within it. It makes it easier for me navigate it, and help you all navigate it, without having to listen to the horror Terrors screams and voices as they direct us through their domain.)” “Heh, yeah, that sounds like a good idea to me!” John laughed awkwardly, obviously preferring not to hear some crazy monsters screams. Jade continued to look confusedly at Rose, as did the Vantas’, but for whatever reason Terezi was taking this all in stride and acting as if Rose was NOT speaking completely utter gibberish. Rose sighed, glancing at Dave, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, “Ok, I’m only going to explain this once, so listen up…” 

John sighed, looking away from the others and taking in his surroundings. Until now, John hadn’t had the time to look around and take in his surroundings, so what better time to do so when Dave’s going all professor mode?  
John had noted how the ground was covered in a thick layer of light brown to grey ash, and that the ground underneath which was uncovered in some areas was a dark, charcoaled black colour with large cracks which oozed black goop. The trees which dotted the land in front of him were twisted and spikey, with some having what looked to be bones laying beneath them. John glanced upwards and saw dark, brown ashen clouds that looked like dust swirling around what looks to be a black hole, a giant, tentacle creature protruding from it. John looked around and saw more of those creatures, the creatures ranging from tentacle forms to sharp teeth and claws, all of which were floating above the desolate wasteland. In front of him were hills of ash, to his left, many twisted trees next to a large pool of the black goo, and to his right were more hills that lead into mountains. However, a Coloured light that bounced off of his glasses and shone in his left eye caused him to turn towards the small forest of trees. He scanned the treeline for the light, and when he saw nothing he directed his vision to the sky, and he was in awe at the sight before him. Large cracks scattered about the sky, rainbow light dancing to and fro from crack to crack. John squinted his eyes, and saw as the crack began to grow ever so slightly before halting to let the light dance once more. He thought it was beautiful.

“Et vere magna est situm tamen etiam tristi. (Yes, it is a truly magnificent site, however it is also a sad one.)” Rose said solemnly from beside John. Huh, he guesses she must have creeped over to him while Dave argued with Karkat. John looked at Rose curiously, and she sighed. “Quod lux mea nocentia docet Horror metus ipsum inane. Quoniam tu ... (That light is what threatens my teachers, the Horror Terrors, and the void itself. For you see, Lord English wishes to destroy all things, including the Darkness which creates and sustains the void and the creatures within. With our world, he is pulling darkness from the void and placing it within out world of light, destroying it slowly and menacingly. However, he is killing two birds with one stone. Since light and Darkness must always exist with one another, like how him and his sister balance each other. The goddess of light was not fully ‘destroyed’ once he killed her, as they still must balance each other out so long as the other lives. With that same concept, he cannot simply place darkness within our world without moving the light to another so that it is balance. And so, whatever amount of darkness he takes from here, he replaces with light from our world. He is killing both dimensions, and the things which dwell within, using the very balance which has kept our worlds safe and separate for centuries.)” 

John frowned, because this totally sucks. Lord English is a total Jackass that needs to be stopped! “I’d give him points for irony if he wasn’t some psychotic bastard who’s trying to kill us.” Dave said, standing alongside John and Rose. John nodded, looking back out at the barren wasteland which they would soon have to cross. “Yeah, the only thing we’re going to give him in a run for his money!” John exclaimed, standing proudly and smiling wide. Dave rolled his eyes, patting the smiling John on the shoulder before turning and walking towards the others, who were babbling away, “Yeah, yeah, you do that Egbert. While you make him run for money I’ll actually be kicking the shit out of him.” John crossed his arms, pouting. Before John could turn and say anything Karkat was stomping past him with an eager Jade and Terezi behind him. 

“OH MY FUCKING ASS ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT SORRY ASSES MOVING OR ARE WE GOING TO DICK AROUND FOREVER IN A FUCKING WAKING NIGHTMARE? BECAUSE I, FOR ONE, AM NOT.” Karkat growled out at everyone, never once slowing his quick pace as he walked through the ash, leaving footprints like in snow. “Karkat punctum, eroque socius itineris debemus. (Karkat has a point, we should be on our way.)” Rose agreed, beginning to float and drift towards the front of the group. Kankri hurried past John and Dave towards his younger brother and the other girls, leaving John and Dave at the back of the group. John and Dave shared amused looks before trudging after their friends through the layer of ash. 

Thankfully John and Dave were far enough away from the group that they wouldn’t get lost and they didn’t have to hear Karkat whine. They climbed over mounds of ash and rock, around some weird trees, and through disgusting pools of blackness for a solid 5 minutes before it was broken, by the one and only John Egbert. 

“Hey, uh, Dave,” John started, looking forward to make sure he didn’t trip over all these god damn roots from those stupid, stupid trees (they are so stupid!), “Can I ask you a question?” The half-blood shrugged, taking a large step over a twisted root, “Sure John. Sup?” John glanced over at Dave from the corner of his eyes. “Well, I’m just curious as to what you and Rose were talking about when you first spoke to her after the whole dragony, uh, thing?” The last few words said uncertainly by the raven haired boy. Dave smirked, looking over at John with piercing eyes. “Funny you mentioned the ‘dragony thing’-,” John made sure to punch Dave the douchebag Strider in the arm for that line, “because that’s exactly what Rose had talked to me about.” “Oh?” John questioned, the other boy nodding with a smile. “Yep. She was all like ‘oh dave, how did it feel to turn into a big, strong dragon with all that awesome muscle’, and I was like ‘it was pretty fucking cool’ and shit like that. I knew she was just saying that so I would ask her what the fuck happened, so I skipped the whole long, boring small talk and asked her right away ‘what the fuck just happened.” John looked at Dave expectantly, “Weeeellll? What had happened?”

Dave looked over to Rose, who was mediating between Karkat and Jade, who were poking each other, one with a scowl and the other a grin. “She told me it had to do with my bloodline. My brother and me a princes of Derse, the Half-Blood Dragons kingdom, due to the pureness of our heritage. Our family has always mated with other pure half-bloods, not any humans or Dragons. I guess since we have an equal balance between our dragon and human blood, we’re able to change more freely between the two. As you can see, my human form looks pretty damn human. Well, except for my blood red eyes which make me seemed demonic and shit. And my dragon form was all might and looked pretty damn close to a true dragon.” Dave nodded towards Terezi, who was grinning with razors in her mouth. “See TZ? You see how her skin’s pale and slightly grey? And how she has fucking swords for teeth even in her human form? That’s because she isn’t totally pure. Her lineage has mated more with dragons than humans or other half-bloods, so she takes on more dragon like characteristics, which include sharp ass teeth and slightly discoloured skin. When I asked Rose why Terezi couldn’t change into a dragon though, she said the because of the imbalance of ‘power’ within Terezi’s body, though I guess her having some sick ass mind powers makes up for her not being able to turn into a full-fledged dragon like myself.” John nodded, looking between Dave and Terezi for a moment before asking, “So that was your first time changing into a dragon?” The other boy nodded. “Yep, you don’t really get that many opportunities to change into a giant dragon when you live in a hole in the ground.” “Oh, ok, that makes sense,” John said quietly before the fell back into silence. But John still had one more burning question on his mind. 

“Hey Dave?” A sigh. “Yeah Egbert?”  
“Why DID you transform into a dragon…?” 

Dave visibly tensed, his steps becoming jolty for a second. “Uh…” was his elegant reply. Did John say something he wasn’t supposed to? “Dave?” John asked worriedly, hoping he hadn’t just crossed some invisible line. “I, um, guess it had to do with hormones?” Dave answered uncertainly, his pace picking up. John also increased his pace to follow the fast walking half-blood. “Oh shit- Dave! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you upset!” John said hurriedly, trying to fix whatever he messed up. The red eyed dude sighed, slowing down just shy of the rest of the group, hooking his arm around his panicking friend’s shoulders. “Relax John, you’re fine. It’s just me, we’re cool. Best bros?” John did just that, he relaxed into Dave’s warm touch, smiling widely. “Best bros!” John exclaimed as Dave rested his head on top of his.

For some reason, even though he’s surrounded by shadows and weird creatures in a strange place that initially freaked him out, John found himself relaxing further, feeling secure in Dave’s arms. 

John also made it a point of teasing Dave until the next portal when he caught the other starting to purr and nuzzling into him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Google Translate sucks, and other translating programs suck.
> 
> To anyone who can actually speak fluent Latin, or who have attempted to use a translator, I am so sorry for the awful word vomit in this chapter.
> 
> If you guys have any links to fan art relating to this work, please leave a link in the comments below! ^w^


	19. The Temple of Doom: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have fun! -w0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! I'm so sorry this is Late again! 0m0 I've been trying to work on it, but I've been really busy between school and my extracurricular actives.
> 
> And since it's starting to come up to the end of the year, where exams and final tests are, I'm going to have to elongate the time in between each update. I'll now be updating every week and a half to two weeks, giving more time to write and do everything I need to for school. I'm sorry everyone for making the wait longer for chapters, but it is needed!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter which you all appear to be dying for! ^w^

How in heck was Jake convinced that going with two girls was a good Idea???

Just a few minutes ago he and Dirk were yelling back and forth to one another, Jake letting them know their current whereabouts at a very disturbing wall. Sadly, Dirk had cut it short, shouting back that they, too, were at the strange wall, and that it would be best if they stopped yelling back and forth in case there were any hostile creatures around. However Jake was not able to say goodbye as Roxy had butted in, clasping a hand over Jake’s mouth just as he was about to continue and say his farwells, Roxy instead answering for him, telling Dirk and the other’s to be safe. He didn’t know why, but that had made him a little butt hurt, not being able to say goodbye to his good friend Dirk! Latula and Roxy were quick to pick up on it, and soon the wicked smirks and teasing began.

“By golly would you two just- UGHHH!!!!” Jake huffed out, his pace picking up considerably as Roxy cooed, “It’s ok Jakey!!! Everyone’s after that Strider D, no need to deny it!” Jake felt the tips of his ears flare, and by the sounds of the girls’ giggles, he was red as a fricking tomato. The teasing had started out as “aweeeeee, Jakey, don’t worry, Di-Stri’s a big boy now,” to, “Yo, 3ngl1sh, 1s th4t blush from th1nk1ng 4bout your crush on pr1nc3 Str1d3r??” That last statement coming from the laughing Latula, which followed Roxy’s previous comment about Jake “wanting that Strider D”. Jake stopped in his tracks, turning around quickly so that he could confront the two snickering girls face to face. “No it is not!” He squawked, absolutely embarrassed, by both the remark and the short amount of time it took for him to loss his composure, “The heat on my cheeks is from your tom foolery, not my imaginations of Strider!” However, due to his horrible wording, Roxy gave him a very suggestive eyebrow wiggled as she smirked, “So ya DO have fantasies of Dirk!!! Care to share Jakey?” Jake was very close to throwing being a gentleman out the door and cursing them out. However, due to his well taught manners, curtsey of John’s father, Jake merely fumed in silence, turning around and continuing to walk alongside the dark, scary wall. Or, at least, it would seem scary to him if it weren’t the only thing distracting him from the girl’s insistent giggles and remarks. Thankful to whatever merciful deity that decided to take pity on him, Jake soon found that the girls’ taunts and jabs soon ceased, causing a large grin to spread across his face. The lack of remarks and talking caused an eerie silence to fall between them as they walked along the black, skull engraved wall, Jake leading the way.  
They continued walking in silence for a few fleeting moments, Jake looking around for anyway inside the temple through the large wall. So far they had found no way inside, and with each passing second Jake found himself getting more restless and anxious. He looked back over his shoulder, back towards Roxy and Latula, who were looking at the wall with quizzical looks. “Neither of you would happen to be in position of an idea to get us into this temple would you?” Jake question the two girls, hoping that they at least had SOMETHING reminiscent of an idea. Roxy shook her head, sighing, “Sorry Jakey, I got nothing. What about you Latula?” Roxy and Jake looked towards Latula, who was looking over Jake’s shoulder, a smirk creeping it way across her face. “4ctu4lly…,” she began, her pace picking up into a light jog, moving to pass Jake to take the lead, “1 th1nk 1 do!” Jake and Roxy watched at Latula passed Jake, jogging for a few more moments before stopping far enough away that the fog nearly engulfed her body. Her fuzzy figure crouched down, appearing to inspect something before she stood, waving them over. “1 d3f1n1tly found som3th1ng!” She called back to them, Jake and Roxy picking up their own speed to reach Latula. Roxy murmured under her breath, “Damn awesome dragon eye sight.” Jake let out a loud laugh at Roxy’s comment, his head held high with his unmistakable, goofy grin.

Jake and Roxy looked at the triumphant Latula before looking towards the small, dark entrance leading into the temple. Jake’s smile flattered as an eerie chill from the opening made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Above it was a small black skull with no jaw, 3 small spikes sticking out from its head. Below was words written in a tongue Jake could not understand, but it looked like a warning. Jake turned to Latula, who was once again crouching and peering into the hole in the wall. “Um, Latula, do you think you could translate this?” He said, looking back at the engraved writing on the wall as he ran his fingers over the smooth surface. Latula peered up at the writing briefly before shaking her head and moving towards the opening. “n4h 3ngl1sh, c4n’t h3lp you th3r3. 1 w4s n3v3r r34lly 1nto l34rn1ng d1ff3r3nt l4ngu4g3s 4nd sh1t. th4t’s mor3 of th3 str1d3r’s or my s1s’ d34l.” Jake got out of the half-blood’s way as she ducked her head into the temple. Latula soon began to inch slowly into the opening (It wasn’t small, Jake could easily see that, but he supposed considering how freaky this blasted temple is Latula must not be taking any chances), taking her time and leaving Jake and Roxy out in the open. Finding no answers from her, Jake looked away from the crawling Latula towards Roxy, who was looking around, out towards the hazy mist. 

“Roxy, would you happen to know what these darn symbols mean?” Jake inquired, drawing the fairies attention away from the surrounding mist toward the strange writing. Roxy walked over and inspected the writing closely, her eyes narrow and her hand rubbing idly at her chin. The look on her face was pure concentration, and Jake found himself getting eager, really wanting to know what the words said. Roxy looked very interested in the writing as well, and if she is that must mean it’s important! After a few more seconds and a small hum, Roxy straightened up, a smug smirk on her face as she turned to the giddy Jake. “Well?” he said expectantly to the fairy before him. Roxy opened her mouth to speak, looking proud, though her façade dropped with a huff. “Annnnnnd I got nothing.” Was her answer. Jake groaned, bringing his hand up to cover his face. “Oh for the love of jiminy Cricket, if you didn’t know why didn’t you say something sooner??” Roxy’s pout soon turned into a bright smile, “Because you looked so adorkable when you got all eager Jakey, I couldn’t resist!” She bound up to Jake and gave him a small pat on the head before turning on her heels and heading for the entrance, Latula no longer in sight. Jake groaned. This girls really ARE going to be the death of him. 

Roxy quickly sunk to her knees and crawled through the hole, Jake waiting until she was all the way through before proceeding after her. He went on his knees and crawled through, a wall of heat hitting him immediately. Jake quickly rose to his feet due to the surprising amount of heat, looking around for its source. Around him were large walls with depictions of serpents and skulls, and some humanoid snake people bowing down to a giant serpent. Large columns in black stone held up the high ceiling, which abruptly stopped ten feet away along with the rest of the room. On the wall opposite to Jake and the opening to the outside world was 3 archways along with several carcasses of unknown creatures scattered about, making Jake’s stomach twist with discomfort and worry. The air was hot but it sent an unpleasant chill through Jake’s spine, the feeling of being watched pricking up his back. Roxy was wasting no time, bounding up to the three archways to examine the 3 symbols which hung above. The middle arch had a symbol of fire above it, the arch to its left contained a cloud symbol, and the one to its right had a scary looking serpent carved into it. 

Jake noticed that Latula was looking carefully at the carvings along the wall, her brow furrowed in concentration and worry. Jake slowly walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder cautiously, though she still jumped slightly. “Oh my god j4k4, you don’t just sn34k up on p3opl3, com3 on bro, not cool.” Latula sighed as she clutched at her chest from the surprise. Jake took his hand away immediately, frowning and mentally slapping himself for being such a buffoon. “Oh my golly, I’m so sorry Latula, I did not mean to scare you! I was just curious as to why you look so wound up.” Latula gave him a reassuring smile as she turned back to the images of serpents and skulls on the walls. “Don’t worry 3ngl1sh, 1t’s noth1n. 1 c4n’t r34d th1s sh1t 4nyw4ys. Thos3 p1ctur3s w3r3 just fr34k1ng m3 th3 h3ll out, y4 know?” Jake glanced over at the images Latula had been examining. There was a huge, monstrous creature right in the center of the wall. Its head was a skull with huge fangs, its upper body nothing but bones, it ribs sticking out like pinchers or claws, and it’s lower body a huge python’s tail. Jake felt a chill run down his spine and his body tensing up at the engraved image. “Uh, yeah, I can see why such a bloody horrendous picture would give you a spook.” Jake breathed, turning to walk towards Roxy, away from that horrible creature carved in stone. 

Roxy was standing in front of the arch which emanated heat, fanning herself casually as she looked towards the descending, spiraling stair case. Jake mimicked her action, peering over her shoulder only to get a huge wave a heat to hit him directly in the face. “Golly! That is bloody warm!” He exclaimed taking a step back as Roxy turned to face him. “Well duh, Jakey, that leads down to the lava pits, obvs!” She said, a giant grin on her face. “And I bet ya that’s where whatever we’re looking for is!” Jake grimaced, “Um, why don’t we look down a more reasonably temperate tunnel? Like this one?” He pointed to the tunnel with a cloud over top of it. Roxy rolled her eyes, waving her hand and beckoning Latula over to them. The fairy turned to the other half-blood once she reached them, pointing to two arches which were now being fought over. “LT, gurl, where do you think a secret, awesmazing thing would be hidden? In a nice place or a shitty one?” Latula looked at Jake, then to Roxy and the two doors situated behind the duo. “Ummmm, 1’d h4v3 to s4y on3 1 wouldn’t w4nt to go 1n…?” Latula ventured, Jake mentally face palming and grimacing. Oh hog wash, they were screwed. 

“Yay! See, I told ya Jakey!” Roxy cheered, spinning around to hug Jake tightly, knocking the wind out of him, before she let go and bounded off through the hot arch and down the stair towards the source of the heat. “Um, wh4t d1d 1 just do?” Latula said, looking at the exhausted Jake. “I think we are in for a bloody awful time.” Jake responded, sighing as he and Latula followed Roxy down the stairs carefully.

The heat grew more intense the further they got down, however Jake noticed how it was never unbearable, just uncomfortable, as if there was something keeping the harmful heat at bay. However, this still didn’t stop Jake from sweating profusely, his shirt sticking to his body uncomfortably and his hair sticking to his forehead. Jake was really starting to dislike this temple, and his dislike for it only grew when the ground began to shake, throwing him and the girls against the walls surrounding the stair roughly, several pieces of brick coming undone from the walls as the tremors grew. “RUN!” Jake shouted through the crashing of stone, Latula, who was in front of him, not having to be told twice as she hurried to catch up with Roxy, who was already rushing down the shaking stairs.

Jake was not far behind them, the trio rushing down the last few steps of stairs before breaking free into a narrow hallway, which had patches of stone missing to show the rough bedrock underneath. Each of them grabbed onto the wall, holding themselves up until the tremors finally subsided. “Is… everyone… ok?” Jake asked through gasps of breath, his body screaming from the pain of his muscles from the unexpected running and the heat generated by the swift movements. “Uh… yeah, I think… I’m ok.” Roxy panted, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “Y34h, 1 th1nk 1m good 3ngl1sh.” Latula responded, standing straighter as she looked down the hallway, which was pitch black, the only light at the moment was coming from a lonely torch next to the archway they had just came (tumbled) through. Jake was beginning to think splitting up was a bad idea. Gosh, he hoped Dirk was ok, he’d hate for something to happen to him. Though this worry was entirely platonic, of course! Though he was quite lovely with those golden scales, and those EYES of his which felt like they were piercing Jake’s very soul, and how strong he looked and-

Jake shook his head, a blush blooming on his cheeks which flowed down his neck. Christ Jake, get it together, you oaf! You cannot be thinking such things about your good pal Dirk, especially in a situation like this! Jake looked over at Roxy, who was looking worriedly at Jake. “Jakey are you ok? You’re getting pretty red there.” She said, motioning to Jake’s face. Jake waved it off nervously, saying quickly, “Oh bullocks, it’s nothing Roxy! I’m just a bit over heated is all!” Roxy frowned, worry set in her brow. “Oh ok, but Jake, if you feel too sick or whatever, you let mama bear know.” She then whispered as if it were a secret, “P.s. Mama bears me, btw, lol.” Jake grinned at Roxy’s antics as she smiled at him with gleaming pink eyes. Latula, who was behind them near the doorway, smiled at them too as she reluctantly placed her hands on their shoulders, drawing their attention. “sorry bros, but 1 gott4 br34k th1s fun f34st up, w3 h4v3 to g3t mov1ng.” Jake nodded determinedly, “Right, we shouldn’t lollygag much longer! We have a treasure to find!!” Roxy grinned as she turned and began to walk down the hall, her left hand held out in front of her in a cupping shape. But as quickly as she started to walk, she stopped, making frustrated sounds as she flexed her left hand repeatedly in the very dim hallway, most of her shrouded in shadow. “Um, Roxy are you ok?” Jake said cautiously as the annoyed fairy turned around with a huff, now flexing both hands out in front of her. “No I’m not! I can’t even get a spark!” She whined, her arms flopping down to her side as her shoulders hunched in defeat, “How are we going to see down there if I can’t even make an itty bitty spark?”

“Um, 1 h4v3 4n 1d34.” Latula said smugly, causing Roxy and Jake to turn around to see Latula holding the torch, which was previously on the wall, in her hand. “Atta Girl!” Jake said, patting Latula on the back as she walked past the two to lead down the narrow hallway. Jake smiled, knowing that, soon, he would be able to get out of this temple! Hell, the others were probably already outside, waiting for them! However, Jake registered a slight tremor in the walls. It was strong at all, it just felt as if something was slammed into it. He pushed the thought of something bad occurring to the back of his mind. This temple was obviously deserted, so it’s probably just some old stone from the walls falling or something (even with that thought in mind though, Jake was once again on edge). 

It wasn’t much longer though before they came up to more tunnels, some that were nearly made and which looked like they were part of the tunnel, and others which appeared to have been literally clawed into the walls and the surrounding bedrock, carcasses of small animals and scales littering those frightening tunnels. Jake peered down one of those tunnels, feeling the hairs on his neck standing on end. Yeah, these tunnels look bloody scary. When Jake turned back to the girls and saw something move at the corner of his eye he was quick to push them along, down a tunnel which appeared to have been originally made with the temple. The girls didn’t protest, and as they walked down the damp hallway, the heat growing and an unwelcoming feeling pooling in his stomach, Jake began to wonder if they weren’t so alone…

“GUYS! HELP!” 

Jake froze, his heart dropping to his stomach as those two words rung through his head. He knew that voice.  
It was Dirk. 

“Dirk!” Jake yelled, all fear he had of the tunnels gone as he raced through them, trying to figure out where that destressed shout had come from. The girls were chasing him, shouting after him, following him, worry evident in their pleas for him to slow down. But he wouldn’t. Dirk is in Danger, Jane is in danger, Aradia is in danger, his FRIENDS are in danger, and he isn’t about to leave them stranded on ‘no help island’. Jake also noticed figures moving swiftly beside him, shifting in and out of focus as they weaved back and forth through the tunnels visible to him. Those better not be the rascals which hurt Dirk or the others, or so help me they will all be dead by sunrise! Jake thought, clenching his teeth as he neared the end of the tunnel, the heat nearly overwhelming. Both he and the girls exited the tunnel, greeted by a large, open cave, a river of hot, molten lava flowing through it into a lava waterfall, with multiple tunnels leading in many directions and huge, spiral pillars holding up the stalactite filled ceiling. Jake’s eye franticly searched around, looking from brick tunnel to clawed tunnel, pillar to pillar, in search of Dirk, ignoring Latula and Roxy as they shook his shoulders and yelled nonsense at him, something about “giant snake people” and “they’re following us”. He really did not give two flippin frigs about giant snake people at the moment  
The he saw him.

Near the Lava River was Dirk, his shades on his pale face, sword in hand, and a huge gash in his side, several bodies of humanoid snake people surrounding him, dead in a pool of blood. “Dirk!” Jake shouted, rushing down the slight slope in front of him, towards Dirk, who looked at him with a sweet smile so kind it made Jake’s stomach flip for an odd reason. Latula and Roxy were quick to join Jake in running towards Dirk. Where they all gave him a huge bear hug, one that, Jake had noted, he was hesitant to return.

“Good golly Dirk! Are you alright my good friend? Those scallywags look like they put up one hell of a fight!” Jake said as they let go of Dirk, who gripped his bleeding side. “Uh, yeah, those shits put up a good fight,” Dirk responded, looking around at the bodies, his warm smile turning into a hatred filled sneer, “but don’t worry, I put them in their place.” Jake felt something twist in his gut, uncomfortably. That was not a look he thought he’d see on Dirks face. What did those creatures do to Dirk…?

Wait.

Aradia and Jane, where were they? Unless…

Jake grabbed Dirks shoulders, making him look him in the eyes (through his blasted shades), as he asked carefully, “Dirk, where is my cousin, Jane, and Aradia. They were with you, what happened to them??” Dirk seemed to pause for a moment, looking around at the tunnels before turning back to Jake. “They’re nearby, don’t worry. They’re hurt, so I thought I’d come look for you guys.” Jake frowned, about to ask what happened to them when Latula stepped up beside him, crossing her arms and giving Dirk a distrusting stare. “w41t just 4 s3cond, how th3 h3ll d1d you know wh3r w3 w3r3 str1d3r? th3r3’s no w4y you could h4v3 known 3x4ctly wh1ch w4y w3 w3r3 h34d1ng, 3ssp3c14lly w1th 4 pl4c3 th1s fuck1ng b1g.” Jake looked at the blond with wide eyes. Latula was right, how did he manage to find them? Roxy pushed past Jake and Latula, crossing her arms and looking Dirk up and down. “Yeah D-Stri. What the fuck gives? How’d you do it?” 

Once again, Dirk paused momentarily, looking around as the glares from Latula and Roxy grew more intense. Dirk’s eyes finally landed on the corpses around them, his arm moving to lift his sword from his side to poke one of the bodies. “I noticed these filthy shits were heading somewhere and decided to follow them. Though maybe they were going after you guys like they did with us.” He looked back up at the girls and Jake, who all looked (and felt) guilty for accusing him as he said, “So are you guys going to stand around and accuse me of shit these fuckers did while the others are hurt or are you going to follow me so we can help them?” Each of them looking at each other before turning back to Dirk, Roxy and Jake still looking guilty while Latula’s eyes burned with distrust even as she uttered “w3’ll follow you.” 

Dirk nodded, turning around to lead him towards a covered stair case, which appeared to lead to the bottom of that Lava waterfall. Jake trudged behind Dirk, Roxy soon pushing past him to help the injured Dirk move down the stairs. Latula eventually moved up beside Jake, once Dirk and Roxy were well ahead of them, her teal eyes burning into the back of Dirk’s head. “1 don’t trust h1m.” She whispered to Jake, her breath barely above a whisper, “h3 do3sn’t s33m r1ght, h3 s33ms a b1t off… 1 don’t l1k3 1t.” Jake frowned at Latula, glancing over at her as he whispered in the same tone of voice, “well I don’t like how you’re treating him! Not only is he hurt, but he just risked his life to look for help for Jane and Aradia! So what if the ol chum seems a bit off? He’s still Dirk!” Latula’s glare soon shifted over to Jake, only slightly less intense. “W3ll p4rdon m3, but usu4lly wh3n 1 th1nk som3th1ngs wrong, 1t usu4lly 1s. Trust m3 j4k3 wh3n 1 s4y d1rks not 4ct1n r1ght. 1’v3 known h1m for hundr3ds of y34rs, so 1 should know wh3n h3’s not ok.” Jake was still frowning at Latula. She didn’t know what Dirk had just gone through! Maybe he got a good hit to the noggin and is just acting funny because a few screws just got knocked loss! When Latula saw Jake’s expression was not changing she sighed, turning away from Jake as her expression turned to one of exasperation. “f1n3,” She said, walking faster and moving in front of Jake, “you don’t h4v3 to b3l13v3 m3, but prom1s3 m3 on3 th1ng 3ngl1sh, just b3 on th3 look out, ok?” She didn’t look back after that, not waiting for a response from Jake as she hurried forward, leaving him in inner turmoil. 

Does he trust Latula, or does he trust Dirk? This was the question that was causing Jake to groan exasperatedly as he fought the urge to grab his hair and scream. He trusted Latula, he really did! She was smart and cunning, and he knows she would never try to lead him astray, but his also trusted Dirk. He has helped Jake, he has made Jake smile and laugh, and… and… He makes Jake feel very special. Something about how Dirk looks at him makes him feel like butterflies and other winged insects are buzzing through his gut. Dirk also saved Jake when that horrendous demoness that was Aradia’s sister (no offense to Aradia). Jake cringed at the thought. He was so violated, so hurt and upset, but Dirk was there to, dare he say, care for him and protect him. That is the very reason why Jake is trying his hardest to trust Dirk, because he wants to know Dirk will protect him, and he wants Dirk to know he will protect him as well. 

Jake had barely registered that they had reached the bottom of the stair case, not noticing the slight bump in the floor, which, with his blasted luck, he tripped over. He yelped in surprise, hitting Dirk’s back, face first (when had he gotten so close to him?). Jake quickly straightened himself up as Dirk turned around to face him, a kind smile on his face which contrasted greatly with his burning eyes. “Hey, careful there, we don’t need you getting hurt.” He said to Jake, the later feeling his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. “Oh, Uh yes, of course, silly me! Hehe.” Jake said, mentally slapping himself as Dirk looked at him strangely. Good going buster, way to make a fool out of yourself! Dirk, however, seemed to not care about Jake’s mess up as he turned back around, continuing t lead the group. Jake now noticed that they were on a lower level, the wall of magma to their left, more caves to their right, and a wide open area in front of them, piles of bones scattered about in small to large mounds. Jake scrunched up his nose, as it smelled absolutely horrid here, the smell of burning, rotten flesh and sweat from the people around him mixing together into an awful cocktail of yuck. 

Latula was clasping a hand over her lower face, trying to block out the smell while Roxy pinched her nose and made a face that would be absolutely hilarious if not for the reason why she was making it. Dirk was also covering his nose, though he was wearing a poker face so sharp it could kill someone. He stopped abruptly in front of the Lava river, the one flowing from the Lava(?) fall, with Roxy bumping into him and Jake close behind. Latula was the only one who had not bumped into Dirk, as she was at the back of the group, her arms crossed over her chest untrustingly. 

Dirk’s grip on his weapon tightened, his knuckles white as he swerved around, practically growling at the trio. Jake and Roxy quickly backed up, Jake’s heart dropping into his stomach with worry, what is Dirk doing??? Dirk began to approach the trio slowly, his eyes obstructed from behind those horrid shades. But he didn’t get very far.

A quick, multi coloured blast of light, coming from behind Jake and the others, went over Jake’s shoulder towards Dirk, and with a single flash of light, Jake thought all the light in his life went out. Blood was everywhere, Dirk’s knees giving out underneath his headless body, the head which had those soft locks of blonde hair and caring smirk was now on the ground, his face more stone cold than ever. The Lava around them began to bubble and boil, shooting up like geysers in anger. Jake was frozen in his tracks, tears beginning to stream down his face as he shouted Dirk’s name so loudly, it would have been deafening if not for the thundering sound of blood pumping through his ears blocking out his cry. He wasn’t the only one screaming either. Roxy spun around, her magic rifle appearing in her hand within seconds, pointed at the perpetrators who killed Dirk, Her eyes searing with anger. Latula also looked grief stricken, her eyes welling up with unshed tears, looking both regretful, mournful, and pissed the fuck off. Latula drew her sword, holding it up defensively. Jake glanced behind himself, spotting the bastards who had the gall to do this. 

They were not human. Their torso’s and head were that of a humans their lower body like a snake, the scales colours ranging from yellow, to green, to orange, sometimes with black or white specks or patterns. They were all slithering out from the tunnels, a group of them already close to the trio, one of their hands outstretched with energy radiating from it (the same light which killed Dirk!). The older humanoid snake creature, the one whose hand had now ceased glowing and who wore a crown around his forehead which held back his spiky, upright hair, began to approach them, a soft, warm smile on his face. It was not warm to Jake, however. It was cold, menacing, taunting, and just made his blood boil. 

“You b4st4rds!” Latula Screamed, launching herself at the snake person, out for blood and revenge. It was obvious, Latula knew that that headless body in front of them belonged to Dirk, and even though he was acting differently, she obviously never wished this upon him. Even though Latula was still in no shape to be fighting, her clothes hiding the bandages underneath, she obviously wasn’t going to let that slow her down. The Crowned snake looked surprised and shocked when Latula’s blade slashed across his abdomen, causing golden blood to begin pooling down its tail as it hissed in pain. It was quickly pulled back by another creature close by, all of the bastards hissing at Latula and looking at them disappointingly. When Latula tried to swipe at the crowned serpent again, another jumped in front, blocking her blade with an energized one of his own. Latula was quick to slash at him and block his attacks, Roxy soon following suit, attacking those rascals. She shot at them with purple, magic bullets, handling the ones from afar while Latula took charge and attacked the ones closest to them. But Jake, well, he was finding it hard to stop his eyes wandering to Dirk. 

While Roxy and Latula attacked the bastards, each hit, slash and shot filled with vengeance, Jake looked down and slumped to his knees in front of Dirk’s head, his pants soon soaking up the rosy blood which once flowed through his good friend’s veins. The longer he looked at the severed head, expression emotionless, the sound of fighting, yelling and hissing and heat from the Lava next to him soon became more and more distant. Jake’s mind as racing, trying to figure out how he could save Dirk, even if it seemed hopeless. His brain clawed through his memories, soon finding a possible solution. He recalled the stories he was told as a young lad by his parents, all about the fae, mystical creatures and magic, and one of these stories was now Dirk’s only hope. There was one tale told to him about how fate is not always so cruel. There is a way to bring someone back from deaths hands so long as they had not died heroically or under the sword of justice, nor under natural causes, such as old age. The way this was achieved was by a simple, meaning full kiss near the time of death. This act was said to show death how much this person was loved, even if by a single person, and if the love by this person was extreme enough, death would give the deceased a second chance at life. Jake has never heard of anyone actually using this method to resurrect someone outside of legends, but considering how half-bloods and kingdoms full of magic exist, it was worth a shot. 

Jake’s shaking hands reached out towards Dirk’s head, his hiccups and sobs growing more intense as he picked it up and watched as blood dripped from the neck and lips. The Lava was boiling and hot, the geysers growing in size and intensity. The shades Dirk was wearing began to slip down his nose due to the heat making them softer, but Jake didn’t think he could handle looking into Dirk’s lifeless eyes while he did this, and therefore, using his thumb which had been resting on Dirk’s cheek, he held the shades up in their proper place. “I’m s-so sorry D-Dirk,” Jake whispered around sobs, bringing Dirk’s head closer to his own, until Dirk’s still warm lips meet Jakes. The Magma let out a loud roar as a huge geyser beside Jake exploded, the magma thankfully missing Jake and Dirk as pieces of Lava went everywhere. Jake kept his mouth closed, feeling Dirk’s blood resting on his lips. It felt weird, kissing a severed head which would not kiss him back, but Jake couldn’t help but put all his effort into the kiss, trying to show death how much Dirk means to him. And this very act proved to Jake that his feelings for Dirk were no longer platonic. He had known for a while they had be teetering on the edge of more, but now it was even more present. Even if he started the kiss to try and bring back a dear friend, he found his heart fluttering with a new passion and wanting, yearning, that he knew was for Dirk. He felt his face heat up at the thought, but couldn’t care at the moment, drawing back from the kiss reluctantly to see if his passion had reached death and was strong enough to return Dirk to him. 

When more blood continued to trickle idly down Dirks chin, his expression and body unmoving, Jake found himself crying harder, hugging the head to his chest as he curled in on himself, his legs covered in the blood that surrounded him. Dirk was gone, he was dead, and Jake couldn’t save him, couldn’t make him smile or grin anymore, couldn’t-

 

“JAKE?”

 

Wait, was that Aradia???

Jake’s head shot up, his mind coming back to Earth to register the fact that the fighting had since ceased, Latula holding her side where her bandage had opened up from her movements, Roxy also mildly injured with a few cuts and scrapes along her body. The Snake people were now surrounding them, a small gap in the crowd where Aradia was standing, her clothes wet and torn, both the crowned serpent creature, who now had a gauze wrapped around his mid-section, and a smaller version on him (probably a son) standing next to her. Roxy and Latula had since lowered their weapons, and were now facing him. They were all staring in shock at Jake, who was still holding up the severed head, blood smeared along both Dirk’s and his own lips. 

“Uh, Jake…” Aradia said with wide eyes and a confused look, though she didn’t get the chance to finish. Jane, who’s own clothes were torn as well, walked out from behind the crowd of serpents, mumbling curses as she held up the unconscious Dirk (??), who’s cuts, gashes, and nearly severed leg, were glowing a soft, golden colour (definitely not Jane’s magic, as hers was light blue). Jane took one look at Jake, and gasped before shrieking as she gripped Dirk harder, “Jake! Good gosh! That isn’t Dirk! T-that’s the giant skulled monster who lives in this temple!!”

 

Wait, what?!!!


	20. The Temple of Doom: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk wakes up, only to find he must hurl himself into Dangers once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! I KNOW THIS IS SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO LATE I'M SO SO SORRY IT WAS FIRST EXAMS THEN I WAS SICK AND THEN FAMILY TROUBLES AND UUUURGH!!! OMO I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME TO LONG TO UPDATE EVERYONE I'M SO SORRY!!!!
> 
> I didn't write while I was sick or stressed because I was worried my writing would be affected by it, and I had gotten sick for about a week or more so It took me awhile before I was able to write! There are so many other things that had kept me from writing and therefore I thoroughly apologize for this being several week late!
> 
> Despite the short summary I can guarantee you this is one of my longest chapters I have written for this (not THEE longest, but definitely close to it!) 
> 
> For any of you who don't know, I am going on Hiatus for the summer! So I won't be updating anything until September. OmO I hope you guys Enjoy this chapter, and once I'm done posting this I'm changing my summary to include that I am on Hiatus for the summer of 2016! 
> 
> I hope you all Have a good summer!!! ^w^

Well this trip has turned out to be fucking fantastic, just like the hell of a headache that feels like his brain is trying to kill itself off the walls of his skull.

Yep, just super.

He was in a temple titled ‘the temple of Doom’, had a fight with a giant ass snake fucking monster, and he was pretty sure he was being dragged. Dirk felt so tired and everything hurt, but also so very numb. His leg, which was searing with pain moments ago from being moved around, had now receded to nothing but a dull throbbing, as did the rest of his body. He could barely feel the hands on his body which were now holding him up (and moving him), every touch and pull feeling like a brush of a feather or they would make him feel more weightless than he already was. He couldn’t move his body, he couldn’t see as darkness was around him in all of his senses, and the only thing that was probably keeping him the slightest bit conscious (and alive) is the pounding in his head, but even that was now fading. 

Shit, this is it, isn’t it? Beaten and unable to help his friends. God, he hoped Aradia and Jane were ok. He couldn’t’ keep them safe, and he probably just got himself killed. And what about the others? He was really hoping they weren’t in the temple. Maybe if Jane and Aradia could escape with Jake, Roxy and Latula maybe they could warn the oth- Fuck, what would they tell Dave? He can’t just leave the little shit, they only have each other, and if he leaves, if he dies, Dave will have no family, no one. That will probably be one of his biggest regrets, his second biggest regret being that he never got to kiss Jake. He didn’t know why, but he was just drawn to Jake, probably because of his good will, his loving attitude, and his gentleness (and his fine ass, but since Dirk’s trying to be sentimental, he’ll leave that nice ass out of his mind… for now). 

As the pounding in his head began to fade along with his consciousness, Dirk allowed his mind to wonder, knowing this will probably be the last time it ever would. Black, raven hair and rich, jungle eyes greeted him, a warm smile plastered on bold lips. Dirk found himself trying to smile back, but found he couldn’t. Of course he couldn’t, he was probably dead, and this was probably a way of coxing him into the afterlife. However he didn’t want to go just yet, because a whisper from a voice he could not recognize at the moment was whispering to him, trying to make him stay. But that was not the only reason why he was trying so hard not to let go just yet. This Jake that stood before him was not his. His hair was not messy like his Jake, but rather combed neatly into a similar fashion. His skin was not a toasty warm colour that Jake’s was. His eyes were not as bright as his, his smile not as wide, his body nothing but mist and blur against blackness. This Jake was not his, but it was all he had to comfort him. Dirk found himself relent.

He forced his soul to move forward towards the smiling Jake, but just as he reached out towards with his hand, which he found was no longer heavy and was glowing a very softly, Jake disappeared, molding into the darkness which still surrounded Dirk. That barely audio whisper had now turned into a booming cry, and the voice which had escaped his mind was now recognizable as Jake’s. 

‘There was one tale told to me, about how fate is not always so cruel.’ The voice cried painfully to him, surrounding him but coming from nowhere in particular, ‘There is a way to bring someone back from deaths hands...’ 

Dirk found heat pulsing through him from his core, faint but there. ‘The way this was achieved was by a simple…’

The heat grew, the weightlessness of his body receding as he found himself becoming more grounded. ‘…meaningful kiss near the time of… death.’ 

Wait, what was Jake thinking…?

‘This act was said to show death how much this person was loved, even if by a single person,’ Dirk felt his limbs growing heavy once more, the pounding in his head beginning to start up once more. Oh no.

‘And if the love by this person was extreme enough, death would give the deceased a second chance at life….’

It stayed this way for several more moments, the feeling as if he was floating in water (weighed down, but weightless at the same time) surrounding him, a warmth spreading through him as the pounding in his head kept a steady beat. Anticipation built inside Dirk, the words Jake had said swimming through his head, giving him hope.

Suddenly, however, everything was on fire.

Holy FUCK. 

Burning, searing, antagonizing pain jolted through him, his limbs feeling as if were being torn off with rods of fire being thrusted into them as they are severed from his body. The weightlessness which had him at peace was now gone, replaced with heaviness which added to his sudden suffering. His head was swimming with pain as his body screamed. He was pretty sure he would be screaming too if he was able to move. The warmth inside him had turned into an inferno, coiled into his heart and ready to explode. A voice, one of a mother trying to comfort her scared child, spoke softly in his ear, her voice being heard above the ringing which had now embedded itself in his mind.

“My Dearest Dirk, by this fine young man’s will, death has given you a second chance.” Her voice was soft, caring, and it helped Dirk feel safer even with all this pain coursing through him. “Go on, my son, and live to your fullest potential.”  
The last thought Dirk had before the inferno in his heart broke free, sending pleasant relief through him and plunging him into sweet bliss, was the image of his mother, and a small cry from his lips for her.

 

===============================

 

He didn’t know how long it had been, but he soon found himself waking slowly, the remembrance of recent, past events urging him into full consciousness. His eye slowly opened, watering from the bright light which shone to his side. The ceiling above him was bedrock that had a volcanic look to it, bits and pieces of the temple braking through the stones surface. Moss could be felt at his back, letting him know he must be in a makeshift bed. He used his expert hearing to listen in on the room’s silence, picking up faint traces of breath exit someone else’s lungs. He was not alone. He did not mean to, but he tensed up, knocking over a small cup of water, which obviously did not go unnoticed on by the person who, presumably, was sitting right next to him. 

He closed his eyes quickly, but that didn’t stop the stranger from leaning over him. “H333Y, 455 H0L3, Y0U 4W4K3 Y37?” A voiced hissed into his ear, spraying spit all on the left side of his face. Fucking fantastic, the first thing he needs after waking up from the dead. “83CAUS3 1F Y0U 4R3, G3T Y0UR 4ZZ UP SO Y0U C4N M4K3 SUR3 TH4T H4LF DR4G0N 8483 1SN’T W0RR13D 4BOUT Y0U.”

Dirk slowly opened his eyes again, where he was greeted with a bush of black, puffy hair which covered the boy’s eyes (though some blue and red could be seen through those tangled locks) and pale, almost grey skin. Though when the guy cackled and sat back, Dirk noted he was not a boy, but around his own age, and he was not human either. His lower body was of a serpent, splatters of black littered his tail, to the point where there was almost more black than yellow on it. He was wearing long, black gloves which reached the middle of his upper bicep, and which was decorated with double yellow lines running from his middle finger to the top of the long gloves. He also wasn’t very built, but Dirk knew that these type of half-bloods used speed rather than strength, as was evident from his lean stature. 

Dirk slowly sat up to be eye level with the other half-blood, and he was thoroughly surprised. He wasn’t hurting anymore. Dirk’s gaze quickly shot down to his ‘injured’ leg, where he found not wound or scar. The pounding in his head was not there, and when he looked down at his body (which was barely covered with his underwear), he found every one of his many scars from ages ago had disappeared, making his skin smooth and clear.

“What the fuck?” were the first words out of his mouth, barely above a breath but loud enough to send the dude next to him into a fit of loud, hissing laughter.

“1 KN0W R1GH7? Y0U L00K L1K3 50M3 WH1MP WH0’5 N3V3R 833N 1N 4 F1GH7 1N H1S L1F3! H3H3H3H33H3H3H3” Dirk was finding it harder and harder not to hate this douchebag.

Dirk glared at the serpent half-blood as he growled out, “Hey, I’ve been in plenty of fights! And I bet I could kick your ass in one too.”

The serpent just grinned, exposing his pointed fangs as he extended his clawed hand. “H3H3H3H, Y0U’R3 N0T 50 84D. MY N4M3 15 M17UN4 C4P70R, N1C3 T0 M337 Y0U D1CKF4C3.”

Dirk hesitantly took his hand, giving it a firm shake with a small smirk. “Dirk Strider, nice to meet you too Mituna Captor, lord of the assholes.” 

Mituna obviously took offense to this, jerking his hand away and sneering, “1’M N07 7H3 455H0L3, Y0U 4R3 F0R W0RRY1NG Y0UR FR1END5!”

Dirk grimaced, as this dude was right, he was an ass for worrying his friends. Fuck, he nearly forgot that he practically came back from the dead while bantering with this guy. So, with a new purpose, Dirk found himself standing on uneasy legs, starting Mituna. Ignoring Mitnua’s protests, Dirk walked away from the stone, moss covered bed towards the large, clawed out hole which appeared to be the entrance to this room. He glanced quickly around the room, finding that it all, was in fact, dug out of the earth, presumably with bare hands and claws. But before Dirk got the luxury of seeing where the large tunnel from the room lead, he was stopped feet from the exit by Mituna dashing in front of him.

“W417!! H0LD UP!” He hissed out at Dirk, Mituna’s expression changing to a more worried and shy one as Dirk quirked a brow at him questioningly. “1, UH, N33D T0 45K Y0U 50M37H1NG.” 

Dirk scoffed. “You have been insulting me for the last several minutes while making me feel like crap, and you want me to do you a favour?”

Mituna nodded determinedly. “Y35! 4ND Y0U 0W3 M3 4NYW4Y! 1 T3CHN1Q4LLY S4V3D Y0UR 455 8Y M4K1NG SUR3 Y0U D1DN’7 B173 7H3 DU57 4 53C0ND 71M3!” Dirk mulled it over, knowing that he was right, but he still took some satisfaction at how Mituna’s ass-holey attitude lightened up when he appeared to be thinking it over.

“Alright, shoot.” Dirk finally said, having decided he might as well find out what he wants and get it over with.

“0K, 50 Y0U KN0W 7H47 H4LF-8L00D DR4G0N CH1CK WH0’S TR4V3L1NG W17H Y0U?” He nodded. “W3LL, 5H3’S PR377Y 5W33T W17H H3R R4D SW0RD M0V35 4ND H3R C00L 74LK. 4ND 1 W4S W0ND3R1NG…,” Mitnua paused, his voice dropping to a hush, “D0 Y0U KN0W 1F 5H3’5… 51NGL3?” The last word came out as a shy croak, one which had Dirk smirking at the blushing snake man. 

“D’awwwwww, you like Latula?” Dirk teased, earning an embarrassed hiss from Mituna, “Aw man, that’s adorable.” 

Mituna frowned at Dirk, crossing his arms over his chest tightly, “1F Y0U D1DN’7 KN0W Y0U C0ULD H4V3 JU57 S41D S0, 455W4D.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I never said I didn’t know, my scaly friend.” Dirk’s smirk grew as he placed a hand on the confused Mituna’s shoulder, turning him around to walk (slither?) with him down the dugout tunnel. “I can tell you one thing for certain, she’s definitely single.”

Mituna beamed up at Dirk. “W417, R34LLY?? 4WWWWWWWW Y33344444555!”

Mituna then began to talk excitedly to Dirk in his native tongue, one which Dirk would have to pay close attention to in order to understand, so instead of using his already dwindling energy (man, who knew walking could be so hard after dying?) he tuned out the hyperactive viper, focusing more on the voice he had heard while dead. The voice that calmed him down before the pain left and he lived. The Voice of his long dead mother which he had long since lost in the folds of his memory. He now wondered how he had made it. She said death had given him a second chance, by why is beyond him. He remembers Jake voice as well, though it is ore blurry than that of his mother’s, saying something about a myth, but he can’t recall further details than that.

He only tuned back in on reality when he felt a rush of cool air flow past his bare chest. Dirk looked down, finding that he had forgotten to ask where the fuck his clothes were before leaving the room. Looking up he also found the source of the small shift in air pressure. Mituna had opened up a temple door widely, exposing Dirk’s almost bare body to all the eyes within. A.k.a, his campaigns and the King Serpent himself, who was dressed with a black shirt with two large yellow-gold lines on it, which draped over his shoulders like a tapestry, his sides bare, and was held together by a golden band.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing (which appeared to be sitting at a large stone table eating some mushroom and unknown animal stew) to peer at Dirk, Roxy being the first one to break the awkward silence by giving Dirk a long, loud hoot. “Awwwwwww yay! Dirky you’re ok!!! Come over here and give momma Roxy a hug!” Roxy shouted, standing up from her seat and pushing the smelly stew away carefully before she was barrelling into him. Dirk quickly gave her a hug back, because by the relieved and slightly scared faces on his friend’s faces, some bad shit must have gone down. “Hey Ro-Lo, as much as I’d love to let you hug the shit out of me, I am nearly butt naked, so ya should probably let go.” Roxy pulled back, giggling as she patted Dirk on the shoulder, “But that makes it SOOOO much better Dirky!” Dirk scoffed, eventually chuckling lightly with Roxy, who had unshed tears in her gleaming eyes. 

Jane was soon to go up to Dirk too and give him a wordless hug which he returned, clinging to him tightly before letting go of him. She gave him a relieved smile before she backed away so that one very worried knight could get her hands on him. “Oh my god, D1rk, 1m so fuck1ng gl4d you’r3 ok dud3. L1k3 holy sh1t, 1 just kn3w, 1 KN3W th4t th4t 4sshol3 copy c4t w4sn’t you!” Latula said as she stormed over to him. She grabbed Dirk and brought him into a crushing hug, one which he gladly returned. Dirk could feel Latula frowning against his collar bone, her grip only tightening as she said, “Don’t you 3v3r fuck1n d13 on 3 4g41n dud3…” Dirk rubbed Latula’s back until she pulled away, when he then said “Don’t worry LT, it’ll take more than that to make me kick the bucket.” For that he got an affectionate (yet hard) punch in the arm from Latula. 

Before Dirk could do anything else his vision went dark, glimpses of light and the muffled sound of laughter echoing through the orange and gold cloth which was now draped over his head. Dirk pulled the piece of cloth off his head, looking around with a fake glare and smirk, trying to find the culprit. When his eyes landed on Aradia, who was sitting between the King Serpent and another serpent Half-blood at the far end of the table, she had a huge grin on her face with mischievous eyes. The Half-blood next to her, which was in a black vest outlined with gold, scoffed, hissing out with a slight lisp, “con2iideriing you’re a fuckiing prince, you 2hould really 2tart dre22iing liike one, diimwiit.” Aradia turned to the half-blood giving him a small tsk as Dirk put on the orange kimono (often worn by Serpent half-bloods, like Japenese serpent Dragon Half-bloods, like Aradia, and serpent half-bloods, like Sollux, due to its open bottom for their long tails). The Kimono went slightly past his knees, with gold trim along its outer edges with golden flowers branching out from those gold strips. It had an open chest, which only emphasised his now scar less, yet toned, chest, and the sleeves were loose and went to his upper bicep. He smirked as he felt the silky fabric of the grey belt which wrapped around his waist between his fingers, the same belt which was holding the kimono together. “C0me 0n S0llux, he just w0ke up! Give the Strider S0me slack!” Aradia said when Sollux made an off comment under his breath. Huh, Sollux, undeniably the prince of the serpents considering he’s a spitting image of the King. “Ii’ll give hiim 2ome 2lack when he’2 done tryiing to kiill u2.” … What the fuck does he mean?

Aradia waved her hand dismissively in the air at Dirk’s confused and expectant look. “It’s n0thing Dirk. N0w C0me 0n and have a g00d meal! Y0u must be famished!” Dirk narrowed his eyes at her innocent look and smug grin which slowly crept over her face, because even though he knew she was just changing the subject to keep information from him, he couldn’t say no when he, in all honesty, was starving. 

Dirk sat down to the only person he had not talked to yet: Jake. While Roxy sat off to his side, Jane sat between her and Sollux on the mossy, rounded bench which circled the whole table. Aradia stayed seated between Sollux and the king, and she was sure to offer the two seats beside the king to Latula and Mituna, who each were chattering eagerly to one another, Mituna with a slight blush on his pale cheeks. Speaking of which, Mituna wasn’t the only one who was blushing like a human bride. 

Jake’s body language screamed embarrassment, as he was slightly hunched over, avoiding eye contact with mostly everyone, save for a few glances at Jane or Roxy. The thing is though, Dirk is right in the fucking way of Jake looking at the girls, however that didn’t stop Jake from still glancing at them while avoiding Dirk’s own seeking eyes. Dirk ate his soup, trying to act like the whole ‘pretending like you don’t exist thing’ with Jake wasn’t happening. “So… sup?” Dirk said best he could, his confidents and nonchalance trailing off when Jake winced and dropped his worn, wooden spoon in his soup after the first word, silencing the room and drawing all the attention towards them. If Jake’s cheeks weren’t flaming before, they sure were now. His rich emerald eyes were looking down at his soup as he quickly picked up his spoon, quietly cursing and apologising to the group. Roxy, for whatever fucking reason, began to giggle behind Dirk, who looked up to find both Aradia and Latula sporting wicked, devious smirks. When Jake took a chance and glanced up, Dirk noted that he turn a deeper shade of red, if that was even fucking possible. Ok, first off Aradia brushed him off, then this??? What the fuck are they hiding from him? He does have a short temper… fuck it.

Dirk glared at everyone in the room, Aradia’s smirk only growing at his angered look. “What the fuck is going on?” Dirk growled out, trying to ignore the way Jake ducked his head slightly at his angered tone, “What the fuck did I do to have you guys tip toeing around tellin’ me shit like I’m some troll under a bridge which y’all are trying to cross without me fuckin’ knowing?” Roxy’s giggling increased tenfold despite the low growl she received from Dirk, Latula also unaffected as she quipped in a similar accent, “D1rk, your dr4gon14n 1s show1n’.” Dirk just flipped Latula off while Roxy mused, “Why don’t you tell him what happened Jakey~?” 

Yeah, he was pretty sure Jake just imploded on himself with how red his whole body turned.

Dirk looked over at Jake, who was glaring at the laughing Roxy. “Oh S-shush!” Jake hissed out between clenched teeth, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. Roxy smirked, “oh, so you would like me to tell him instead?” Jake scowled at Roxy, his eyes narrowing doubtfully, “You wouldn’t dare…” 

“Oh, my dear Jakey, never dare a fairy, cause I can tell ya they’ll do it.” Roxy practically purred to Jake. 

Dirk, seeing the foreseeable future by how Jake tensed up, turned quickly and wrapped his arms around the raven haired boy, stopping him from lunging at the pink pixie. “D-darn it Strider!!!” Jake said, trying to break free of the half-blood grasp, which, obviously, wasn’t breaking any time soon. Dirk smirked at the smug Roxy. “Spill.” Dirk said, a little breathless from trying to keep the thrashing Jake under control. The grin Roxy gave him was devious.

“Ok, so, you probably already know that giant ass monster that beat the crap outta ya also shape shifted into you.” He nodded, gripping tighter on Jake, who was still putting up a good fight. “Well, while you were out cold that dude came and infiltrated out little posy, sayin that he was you and stuff. Well just as he brought us to his hideout, were he probably was about to bust out your Katana and kill us, these lovely snake people came and shot that fuckers head right off!” She exclaimed, looking towards Mituna, the king and Sollux. She then sighed mournfully, “But we still thought he was you, so we started to attack them. Well, Latula and me did, at least, someone else was getting busy. Wink Wonk.” The last comment was directed to Jake, who was now limp in Dirk’s arms and hiding his face in his hands. Dirk continued to face Roxy, but his eyes were on Jake. “What’d he do?”

Roxy stayed silent, instead building up tension by leaning forward, until her face was just inches away from his own. The she whispered, “He got his mack on with your severed head.” Roxy pulled back, her smirk soon falling into a confused pout. “Or his head… oh dammit these shape shifting shenanigans are so confusing!” However Dirk barely register her words, or the giggling from around the table, as his eyes grew wide, locked on the boy in his arms, who had now turned his bright, rose red face up towards his own, their faces inches apart. “You did… what?” Dirk whispered, worrying that if he said it any louder it’d be a lie. “I-I’m sorry Dirk!” Jake said hastily, his own eyes wide, but instead of being filled with curiosity and giddiness, they were filled with fear, “I-it’s just when I was young I w-was told stories a-about people being able to c-c-come back to life from a k-kiss and you were, w-well, dead by my perspective, a-and I w-wasn’t a-about to let someone d-dear to me die….” He was dear to him…. Dirk was dear to Jake. Maybe that was Jake’s way of saying he loved Dirk more than just friends? No, it couldn’t be… but maybe… When the body in his arms began to fidget anxiously, Dirk realized that he had just been staring mindlessly at Jake, who was probably now thinking he fucked everything up. “Jake….” Dirk said, trying to calm down the worried and frightened Jake, maybe saying his name a little more hushed than he should of.

However, since fates a bitch, and loves to fuck with him, Dirk was not able to get HIS mack on, because as soon as he began to lean towards Jake, to connect their lips, there was a loud, thundering rumble that accompanied a hostile shake of the earth around them. “Fuck.” Sollux hissed out, both he and his father using their psionic abilities to stop falling debris from landing on their guests. “They’re gettiing clo2er…” “Who’s getting closer?” He asked while reluctantly let go of the tense Jake, turning towards the King of the serpents and his sons for answers. 

“The Pellis Moriendum, or the Skin Takers.” The King of the serpents said, rising from his seat gracefully before he began to slither away, “And they are here, looking for you, Sir Strider.” 

“Yeah, tho2e are the 2ame type of creature2 whiich kiick your a22.” Sollux helpfully supplied, standing himself to follow his father down one of the many connecting tunnels, “And ye2, before you even fuckiing a2k, thii2 ii2 what ii meant when ii 2aiid you were kiiliing u2.”

As his brother and father slithered down the hall, Mituna stood, his expression tense as he beckoned everyone to follow. Without hesitation Dirk followed, rushing past Mituna to the king and fellow prince. “Are they attacking your Kingdom, you Majesty?” Dirk question the King of the serpents as they continued down the hollowed tunnel, towards many voices, presumably his subjects. “Fiir2t off, you may call me the P2iioniic, a2 that wa2 my tiitle before ii became the kiing, and 2econdly, no, not yet.” Coming to a sudden stop, the Psionic motioned out towards the opening in front of them. Dirk stopped, noticing that they were on a worn, decorated stone balcony, which rose over the large, mile wide cavern that laid before them, houses and tunnels built into the bedrock of the walls. The lights which shone from the windows and doorways of these home, which made the earth they were built into look like the night sky, were vanishing. The people were gathering at the base of the balcony, hundreds of feet down, with bags made out of leather and stringy moss slung over their shoulders. “My people are afraiid.” The Psionic sighed out, anther, less severe tremor shaking the earth, “and they wii2h to flee.”

“Are those Tremors the skin takers?” Dirk inquired, looking around at the rock which surrounded them skeptically. “Y34h, th3y 4r3.” Dirk looked over his shoulder to see his friends standing at the entrance to the tunnel, Latula at the front of the group carrying Dirk’s Katana and sheath. “Th3y 4lr34dy g4v3 us the low down on wh4t’s go1ng on. Th4t b4st4rd th4t w3 fought? W3ll 4pp4r3ntly h3 w4s on3 of 4 fuck1ng thous4nd th4t l1v3 d33p in th3 34rth und3r th3 t3mpl3. Th3y’r3, l1k3, p4rt of th3 t3mpl3 1ts3lf, 4nd c4nnot v3ntur3 p4st 1t boundr13s. Th4t m4sk 1t us3d to ch4ng3 1nto you 1s th1s t3mpl3s g1ft, 4nd th3s3 cr33ps 4r3 sworn to prot3ct 1t 4nd k1ll 4ny who tr13s to g3t 1t.” In one swift movement Latula launched his Katana in the air, which Dirk easily cause, before she continued. “4pp4r3ntly th3r3 1s norm4lly on3 1n th3 upp3r l3v3ls, wh1l3 th3 r3st just sort of ch1ll 1n th3 low3r on3s, but 1f th3y loss th3 m4sk, th3y 4ll go blood th1rst 4nd fuck1n hunt down who3v3r touch3d 1t l4st. Wh1ch, 1n th1s c4s3, would b3 you.” 

“How the fuck did I touch it last if I was half the fucking way to the place where the living don’t walk?” Dirk turned towards Latula, confused as fuck. “B3c4us3 1t st1ll h4s your blood 1n 1t.” Latula quipped back pointing to the Psionic. Dirk turned to see him holding the skull mask in his hand, blood still visible in his cracks. “We have triied our be2t to remove iit, however iit ii2 embedded iinto the mask, and we beliieve the only way to remove iit would be to place another’s blood wiithiin.” The Psionic answered gravely, another shake of the earth causing more alarm amongst the people crowding below. “Y34H, 50 W3 C4N’7 D0 5H17.” Mituna HELPFULLY informed him. Of course they were right, Dirk wasn’t about to be a fuckin wussy and put someone else in harm’s way, even if hundreds of those monsters are after him…

With a curious glance at the surrounding tunnels, the lights which illuminated the cavern now nearly all obsolete, Dirk asked warily, “Why haven’t they’ve attacked the ci-,” Dirk paused in his sentence as the earth bellowed and shook once more, so hard he had to grip the balconies fence for support, the other serpents having to do the same while his campaigns braced themselves on each other and the walls of the tunnel. “What the fuck is stopping them from busting in here already?” Dirk finished, his brow set into a firm line. Fuck, what has he gotten himself into?

“My abiiliitiie2 allow me to me22 wiith theiir 2en2e2, diirectiing them away from the ciity and the ma2k.” The King answered, pointing out the slight shocks of blue and red which flicker along the walls of the cave, barely noticeable, but still there, “However, ii won’t be able to u2e my power2 to 2top them from 2eekiing you out due to the ma2k magiic. Everytiime they keep gettiing clo2er to the ciity, and with more and more entering the tunnel2 ii’m haviing a hard time 2toppiing them a2 they come iin larger group2.” Dirk clenched his jaw, trying to think of a way they could get past the monsters. “So what you’re telling, is that you’re able to prevent them from finding everyone else, but me?” A nod. “And that if I were to venture out into the tunnels with you there’s a chance they’ll find us before we reach the surface? Speaking of which, how fucking far down are we?” “Fiir2t th3 fuck off, he diid not 2ay that iif you come along wiith us your 2orry a22 would lead them right two us. And 2econdly, we’re about a mile down from the 2urface, but we have some tunnel2 which have 2ome pretty fuckiing 2teep ramp2 on them.” Sollux informed him, slithering up beside him and crossing his arms over his chest, peering out into their dying city. “2o what’2 th3 plan 2triider?”  
The lights were fading to nothing, and the rumbling of the earth was now a steady thrumming. He knew he could accompany them for only so long before those creatures found him. 

“Th3y’r3 r1ght b3low us now….” Latula said, crouching down to touch her fingers to the rumbling earth. “1t won’t b3 long now…”

“We run.” Dirk said blatantly, ignoring the stares he got in return. “We run, or slither or whatever, as fast as we fucking can to the surface.” He turned around, gesturing to the king of the serpents who had the mask of doom safely tucked against his chest. “While the Psionic keeps those fuckers from finding that mask, I’ll go the opposite way of you guys and distra-,” “Like hell you will!” Jane screamed, her face contorted into anger and worry, drawing everyone’s attention to her after she had been remarkably silent, “We nearly lost you once to one of those things Dirk! We’re not about to send you out there against all of them, for god sakes! So forget that foolish plan!” Dirk grimaced at the thought of those things. Maybe he shouldn’t go… but he knew he had to do it or else all these people, a whole fucking race, could die. He was prepared to trade his life for that of many, as he had learned when he was training with the soldiers of his race. They were always taught to put the civilian’s lives and that of the kings before their own. And now he would follow that code, putting this entire race before his own life. Sure, he just grazed by death’s dagger, but he’s pretty sure he’s got a guardian soul looking out for him, and He used to call her mom.

But he knew his friends wouldn’t let him go without a fight, and therefore he wouldn’t give them a chance to start one.

Without responding to Jane, Dirk turned to the Psionic, his expression mimicking the determination and protectiveness boiling over in his gut. “Do me a favour,” with a swift turn and a leap onto the railing of the balcony, he continued, Sollux who was beside him making no move to stop him, “Make sure my friends get out alive.”

And then he was falling, the shouts of protest from his friends echoing through the darkened chamber, only to be followed by another harsh rumble of the earth. It was times like this that he wished the temple did not stop him from changing his forms. Oh well, his katana is as good as any set of wings.

Halfway down to the stone ground, where all the half-bloods were gathered, he unsheathed his katana, twirling mid-air towards the rock face which the castle appeared to be built into (similar to the Fairy’s castle). With one harsh jab, he embedded the Katana several feet into the stone, slicing it as it acted against the Katana’s blade, slowing his decent. Still over 10 feet above the ground, he peered up at the Psionic and the others, who were now looking at him over the rails of the balcony. “Do you promise to keep them safe?” He shouted over another shake of the earth, a large amount of psionic blue and red sparks exploding up from the north wall, opposite to them, trying to keep the oncoming storm at bay. 

The Psionic didn’t miss a beat. “2o long a2 you promii2e me you wiil not perii2h iin the2e tunnel2.” Dirk gave them a slight smirk. “Deal.”

Pushing himself off the wall, he launched himself out towards one of the nearby buildings, grabbing onto the edge of the jagged roof to keep him from falling the remaining distance to the ground. “D-dirk!!” Jake shouted after him, leaning over the railing trying to get closer, “Stop with this n-nonsense! WE can make it all together! Y-you don’t have to do this Dirk!” Dirk looked up at Jake, locking eyes with him for only a few moments, seeing the worry and fear and despair etched into those rich green irises. He found a lump forming in his throat, and therefore, instead of saying anything, he merely shook his head, adverting his eyes from his distressed friend out towards his target, a tunnel on the far side of the city. He hoisted himself up onto the roof, taking only a moment to take a deep breath before he was sprinting over the harsh roofs, away from his shouting friends and the tunnels which would lead them to the surface.

However, even though he thought he was set on not looking back a hit worried friends faces, his eyes betrayed him as he was leaping to another roof top. His traitorous eyes glanced over his shoulder, where he saw the Psionic having to literally drag Roxy away, who was crying and shouting and cursing him, while Latula did the same with Jake, keeping him from leaping off the balcony right then and there to stop him. Latula saw he was looking back, staring at him with a stern expression, one meant to convey that if he died, they’re be shit to pay (and he knows Latula has her ways of figuring shit out, like summoning his ghost so she can beat the crap out of him for being so stupid). Jane was also trying to help the Psionic keep Roxy under control, all of his friends soon disappearing back into the tunnel on the balcony. He also noted as his gaze turned forward that the large crowd that had gathered at the base of the building was now disappearing at a swift rate through the small tunnels which probably lead to a bigger one which they could all travel down. Their king must have given the word to start the escape. Good, the faster they escaped, the better. 

With the reassurance that his friends were getting as far away from this death trap as possible, Dirk sped towards one of the outer tunnels, the Psionic energy bubble moving away from it, towards Dirk. And without that energy bubble surrounding the city, the walls began to cave, forming new, larger tunnels and with them flowed in the skin takers. Hundreds of them. All surging towards Dirk, who was still currently in the bubble’s protection, but he wouldn’t be for long. He knew he couldn’t very well take them on head to head (he already knows how that will turn out, and against thousands of them? He’s sure as hell not as stupid as someone might think for doing this stupid ass heroic shit), so instead he has to think fast, the bubble only a few yards away from him, and a few metres away from his destination, the far northern tunnel. 

It felt as if time was slowing down the closer he got to the tunnel, his mind racing to find answers to how he was going to stop the mounds of skin takers falling into the cavern from getting at his friends. Ok, ok, what the fuck can kill these things? Hand to hand combat does shit, and my Katana ain’t going to anything to its hard ass bones. Come on strider, fucking think. He got the answer when he looked to his left and saw one of those creatures using its skull head and sharp ribs to claw and smash its way through the thick, near impenetrable bedrock. He was going to make them destroy the temple.

From the inside out. 

He took his Katana and slashed along his fore arm, deep enough to draw blood but not deep enough to disable him. He then stopped running, the bubble moving faster towards him now, letting him know that the king was now running with everyone to the surface. He didn’t have that long, so he had to be fast. As the creatures circled at the edge of the bubble, some of them dipping inside only to thrash violently and retreat, Dirk looked over the side of the building he was currently standing on. Bingo. Several robes and tapestries of some family who didn’t have time to collect them were handing from a string of moss strung between the two, close knit buildings. With the edge of the bubble fast approaching and the skin takers along with it, Dirk acted quickly, jamming his Katana into the side of the building, where he then descended carefully to hang from it. Grabbing as many clothes as he could carry without a bag, he hoisted himself back onto the roof, ripping the clothes into strips as he began to wipe the dripping blood from the gash on his forearm onto the now shredded rags. God, he hoped this worked.

Bunching them up into the crook of his arm, Dirk dropped a single rag full of blood on the roof he was currently on, several tied to his arm to stop the actual bleeding, and one tied to his Katana that was blood free. He sheathed his Katana, knowing that he would need to move a swiftly as possible, and the Katana would only get in the way at this point. He couldn’t hide, but you can bet his sorry ass he was gonna run. 

With one last final, hard stare at his target, he set off once again in dead sprint towards the edge of the bubble, the path to the tunnel only obstructed by a few skin takers which had climbed up on the roofs (most of the other ones were either in the houses along the walls or down in the lower streets). The static of the bubble pickled his skin, and his was his with a wave of electrical shock and buzz when he jumped onto the next building over, which was occupied with a skin taker, the bubble just passing him as his feet landed on solid ground. 

It was then that hell broke loose. 

All of the monster’s let out a blood curdling screech, nearly deafening in the enclosed caver (even if it was several miles long and wide). The skin taker which was on the roof in front of him charged, fangs exposed and eyes gleaming with blood lust. Dirk couldn’t take the bastard on, so instead he was going to distract him. He took one bloodied rag from the pile shoved into the corner of his arm and threw it at the creatures face just as they were about to meet, praying to the gods that his idea worked. The bloody rag landed on the creature’s cheek, sticking slightly because of the fresh blood on it. The creature stopped momentarily, allowing Dirk to maneuver around its rib’s and onto the other side of the roof. The creature was no longer frozen, but it was no longer pressuring him either. Instead it had tossed the rag from its face, throwing it to the roof top and tearing into it, biting at the rock underneath it as its teeth pierced the fabric between it. 

Dirk didn’t have time to celebrate this small victory, however, as all of the skin takers were transcending on his location, clawing up the side of the buildings to get on the same level as him to rip him apart. Now there were five in his way, the other two who were previously several roof tops ahead of him now just leap away, with 3 more about to box him in long the sides of the roof. Dirk leaped across to the second roof top with the two skin takers, throwing one bloody cloth at the closer one’s face, stunning it long enough for him to duck and roll under its long, pincher like legs. The second one charged towards both of them, Dirk barely had time to dodge out of the way it’s horned skull and spikes before it was swooping past him, slamming into the other skin taker, and launching both of them down to the streets below. Dirk smirked to himself until a hot pain started to burn along his right arm, the side which he thought was out of the reach of the monster. Apparently not, as there was a huge gash along his arm which was dripping with crimson. Fuck, just his luck.

With the fresh blood dripping from his arm, the creatures went further into a frenzy, some of them smashing through the houses instead of going around them. 

“Shit!” Dirk shouted as he was sent launching off of the roof he was currently on into the wall of another building, his hands grappling at the nearby window ceil to keep himself from plummeting down to the skin taker infested ground, the bundles of rags still clutched tightly in his arms. As he scrambled into the window he glanced behind himself and saw that one of the skin takers had busted through the house and tried to get him through the ground under his feet. Dirk knew he didn’t have time to fuck around now, he had to get to that tunnel or he’d be take out for a bunch of thick headed assholes. 

He tumbled into the room the window was attached to and rushed through the house (the fourth floor by the looks of it), where he then jumped blindly put of a random window. Which was stupid, considering he then landed right on a skin taker that was climbing up the wall on the next building over, and he just had to land on the fucker’s spiky, bone head. The skin taker didn’t miss a beat, because as soon as he landed on its head it began to thrash around, sending him flying through the air. Ok, this is just bullshit.

Once his side scrapped along solid ground (albeit, another roof surrounded by skin takers), he rushed to his feet, deciding not to waste any more time. He began to speed step past the mounds of monsters climbing on top of one another to get to him, throwing bloodied rags (some with fresh blood lining them) at the creatures, sometimes even getting lucky and having multiple creatures attack the rag or one another. He dipped and dodged as many attackers as he could, but just as he was about to reach the tunnel a tail slammed into his back. He felt a jolt of white hot pain shoot through him, a shout ripping from his throat as he was launched to the outer cavern wall, slamming into it right above the narrow tunnel. He fell to the ground, which rumbled with the oncoming tidal wave of skin takers fighting each other to get to him first, which would be easy considering he was lying completely fucking still on the ground.

He took a breath. Sharp, hurts.

He let it out shakily. Dull throb of pain in his lower chest.

He took another. The feeling of his lung being stabbed with a dull blade ripped through his chest. 

The rumbling was getting louder, and as he willed to move his eyes to move, he saw they were coming from all corners, from above him and in front of him, his only exit now being the tunnel he was just inches away from. It was too small for their giant bodies, but it was big enough for him, and he hoped it would save his sorry ass. 

His whole body protested as he scrambled to his feet and collected the bloodied rags from the ground, however he was not able to collect as much as he wanted, what with the creatures now right over him, literally!

Dirk barely had time to flash step into the tunnel before a Skin taker pounced from above down onto his previous position, where it then clawed and bit at rags that were left behind. Dirk didn’t have time to rest and tend to his injuries though (which included an obvious broken rib since every breath hurt like a bitch. He might as well be breathing in boiling water), even with the distraction, because soon the rest of the creatures were descending upon the tunnel, attacking the rock, trying to make it wider for them to fit into. Dirk scrambled through the jagged tunnel, gripping the pile of rags until he thought he was far away enough that his plan would work. 

He quickly leaned against one of the walls for support, giving him legs a rest as he took the rags still tucked tightly into his arm (although he did lose quite a few along the way) and quickly used them to dab at his new wounds which were bleeding, making sure his scent was fresh on the torn cloth. The earth rumbled, cracks soon appearing along the tunnel he was in. Shit they were getting close. Dropping a single, freshly coated rag onto the ground, he flash stepped through the tunnels, stopping every now and then to catch his breath (shit, when did he start coughing up blood??). He would go down a random tunnel and drop one or two rags before continuing on, running around the tunnels in random movements, dropping rags in different locations he hoped were far enough from each other that the creatures would do enough damage for his crazy plan to work.

With 5 more torn clothes to go, he was running as fast as he could possibly fucking go, because just moments ago the earth had rumbled and a skin taker had broken through the rock. They were all around him now, in the rock. He could feel them crushing and breaking through the rock, and he couldn’t help a let a smile grace his face, because he also felt some of them rushing past him, past one another, to the rags he had placed through the tunnels. They were racing from one point to another, straight through the rock, weakening it. He may be running from one of those fucker right now, but when this place fucking caves, he’ll be the one with the last laugh. 

The creature was screeching at the top of its lungs, slamming into the cave walls with every turn as Dirk flash-stepped just out of its reach. It was a choir of calls of vengeance and fury, but soon it began to get drowned out by the sound of collapsing tunnels and pained cries of agony from the Skin takers. The motherfucker behind him was pretty damn fast, and Dirk wasn’t as fast as he normally was, what with a hole probably being ripped through his chest from the astray, broken rib, so it was a matter of time before it caught up with him. He was hoping it wasn’t soon though, he needed to make sure this place im-fucking-ploded before that shit happened. He knew he couldn’t keep going at this speed with his chest screaming for relief and blood bubbling up in his throat, and he knew if he slowed down the slightest bit the growling, hissing creature behind him would be on him in seconds. Thankfully he saw his exit as he scrambled around a corner, the creature slamming into the wall of the tunnel as it attempted to turn. His exit? A small, steaming crack in the wall, one which he would have t crawl through, or in this case, dive through. He rushed down the hollowed out earth, waiting until he was just upon it to dive to the side, catching the creature off guard. He clawed and pushed his way into the hole, the ground rumbling behind him from the skin taker stopping and rushing backwards to attack the wall of earth and rock. Dirk found himself coughing harder than ever once he finally crawled through the rest of the hole (he did it very fucking fast might he add, and his rib hated him every single moment of it with a burning passion). 

He jumped to his feet, only to become light headed with blood gurgling up his throat to be coughed onto the ground. This eyes were becoming spotty as he looked around, the earth shaking beneath his feet and around him, the sound of Rock caving in ever prominent against the hissing sound of boiling water. Dirk’s eyes looking along the walls and the floor in front of him, huge mounds of steam hissing up from between cracks in the earth, with small mounds shooting large gushes of boiling hot water and steam. Water Gazers, most likely created by a water bed above a lake of lava. The wall of Rock behind him cracked and screamed as the skin taker rammed into it, burying itself into the rock before it began to claw through it. The stone separating Dirk and the creature was failing, and now he was nothing but a cornered animal. Dirk looked up to the ceiling of the cavern he was in as another gazer went off, wondering where all the water and steam went when it was launched towards it. There, in the ceiling, was a huge, monster sized hole that was carved through the earth by heated water, all the way to the surface. There were several gazers in the room, all of them closely huddled together in the far corner, under the large hole. The earth rumbled below his feet once more as more blood trickled down his chin and his chest burned, but just as he thought it was just the gazers and the creature behind him, a chorus of shrill cries echoed through every opening in the cave.  
The skin takers knew of his roast, and now they were descending upon his hideaway. 

Dirk rushed towards the gazers and the hole to freedom, large cracks appearing in the walls all around him. As the first skin taker broke through the wall (the one with the crack that he had escaped through), another followed, and then another, each fighting their way over one another to get to him. The earth rumbled, and soon the room was being filled with boiling hot steam as the floor began to crack and break away into the water. Dirk pulled out his Katana, stopping a few feet away from the gazers, determined to make a final stand, his skin resilient to the heat due to his dragon blood. Luckily for him, the Skin taker’s didn’t have such a luxury. The all hissed with pain, but they did not retreat, their eyes screwed shut as they blindly rushed into the room. They knew where he was in the room due to their fucking blood magic shit, but now they didn’t know where the walls were, or each other for that matter.

Oh this was going to be fun. 

The first skin taker launched itself straight for Dirk, another one soon following it’s lead without knowing so. Dirk smirks through the pain as he leaped into the air, his golden Kimono flowing gracefully as he landed atop the first Skin taker’s head (Let’s call him dumb-ass). Dumb-ass thrashed his head, rushing towards a nearby wall, totally oblivious to the rock it was about to crash into. At the last moment Dirk leaped away from the carnage, dumb-ass’ skull hitting the rock Hard enough to shatter it, a dark, black goop sloshing out of the cracks as it landed on the ground with a thud. One down, a zillion or whatever to go. Dirk couldn’t celebrate for long though, even if it was a small victory, because soon he was being slammed up against the wall by another sharp skull of a skin taker, thick, sharp canines shredding through the flesh of his right leg. 

“FUCCCCCCCCCK-!!” Dirk shouted, his voice drowned out by the rumbling and cries of Skin takers shredding through the rock to get to him, as well as from the crimson liquid gurgling up his throat and the blood pounding in his ears. Dirk lifted his Katana high in the air with shaky arms, and brought it down harshly into the skin takers left eye (He was aiming for the center of its head, but he’s shaking so badly right now he isn’t surprised his aim is currently shit), which then began oozing a dark, yellow slush that bubbled and smelled fucking awful. It screamed a blood curdling scream, and back off of Dirk to let him rip the Katana from its eye and fall to the ground, Dirk trapped at the base of the beast due to his injured leg. Dirk barely dodged the rough leg of the thrashing skin taker, and he had to hold his Katana over his head to block a second which was aimed for his abdomen. There was crimson blood dribbling onto his head and shoulders, his own blood, which came from the skin takers mouth and jaw, and mixed with his own blood was now that awful smelling ooze from the fucker trying to kill him. Lovely.

Knowing he couldn’t walk, Dirk laid down on his back, and as soon as the leg above him stopped crashing down upon his blade, he made his move. Throwing his Katana to his left, Dirk had seconds to tuck his arms close to his body and roll away from the skin taker. He got only a few feet before his arm was being scorched by boiling hot water sputtering through the growing cracks in the floor. He hissed out in pain, but otherwise he wasn’t complaining as it also shot up at the skin taker who was previously trying to fucking crush him. Dirk grabbed his Katana and dragged himself up off the ground, the hot and sharp rock digging into his hands, his nails scraping and clawing at the rock for leverage so he moves faster, his good leg being shredded to ribbons while he crawled up a small mound which rose from the earth. It was within the field of steam and small gazers, and it was the largest of all the mounds which was present under the large hole in the roof of the cave. Once at the top, Dirk quickly turned around and pointed his sword towards where he had been previously, ready to defend himself if the skin takers dared to cross the field of boiling water. 

He was, however, met with a surprising, shocking, but welcoming view of the skin taker which had shredded his leg being shredded itself by the other’s, who were attacking where his own blood had dripped down its body. 

Dirk had to look away though as more of those bastards flooded in through the crack in the wall and through the holes they were boring into the walls. He was actually surprised that this place was still fucking standing, considering there was a constant rumble of the rest of the place caving. However that thought was a fleeting thought as the cave actually was about to fucking collapse, giant boulders falling into the crowd of skin takers which began crowd the room, all of their sights set on him, the carcass of the bloodied skin taker laying limply on the ground before them. 

Dirk got up into a kneeling position, his sword aimed out at the tidal wave of creature before him, his mind and heart ready to defend himself to the death. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, as the creatures began to pass through the boiling hot steam and cracking, caving floor, their eyes gleaming with blood lust, was that larger cracks began to appear as more of them moved forward, and that the mound he was on was begin to crack at the base, leaving a solid mass in the middle. More of the smaller, capped gazers were going off as three, six, twenty and more skin takers began to move forward into the mini- mine field, the solid, rock tops of the smaller gazer shooting high into the tunnel above. 

Dirk began to growl, wanting to egg on his attackers. “You want me huh?!” He shouted over their hissing and falling rocks, “Then come and fucking get me you bastards!!!” He ripped a piece of his golden kimono and dipped it in the wound of his leg, where it quickly drenched in blood. He then threw it over a steaming gazer, where the smell of crimson filled the air, causing the skin takers to become enraged. They all screeched and screamed as if they were burning in hell, and soon every single one of them was rushing towards him, not caring about the cracks or the steam or the fact that the floor was now breaking apart under their feet. Dirk knelt upon the largest capped gazer, and it was there he took his Katana and used all his strength to shove the blade deep within the rock. 

It was there he shouted back, shouted over their hissing screams, shouted through the rocks and dust which exploded into the room from any opening, caused by the collapsing tunnels, and it was there he shouted as he was surrounded by both dust, rock and hot, hot water. He felt like he was flying and falling, his hands gripping the handle of his Katana until they felt numb, his face being scorched and torn up from stray rocks and searing water and steam. He peered up wards, opening his eyes which had been previously screwed shut, and above him was a small light, a way to freedom, sky rocketing towards him (or, more precisely, he was heading towards it). 

With the reassurance that he would soon be above ground, and safe, he allowed his eyes to shut, and his soul to calm.

================================

 

A few moments earlier….

Jake was in a frenzy. He was scared and he was panicking. They ripped out from that temple kicking and screaming, and even now they had to hold him back from rushing into that hell hole, finding Dirk, slapping him silly and, even though he’s still confused about these new feelings, kiss his stupidly smug face. The Psionic had directed everyone far away from the temple, because apparently it was fucking collapsing in on itself. Jake and everyone else had to watch as, ever so slowly, clouds of dust accompanied the shaking of the earth and the disappearance of part of the Temple.

It was only until recently that the temple was falling into the earth, bit by bit. But now, the earth was shaking and the ground was crying as the whole temple, in one fell swoop, collapsed into the ground, large Gazers of water shooting up in its place, some even a few feet away from theirs and the snake peoples make shift camp.

Oh god… Dirk was still inside!

“DIRK!!! D-DIRK ARE YOU THERE!!! OH GOD... DIRK!!!” Jake screamed at the top of his lungs, both Jane and Roxy grabbing at his arms and holding him back before he could rush towards the caving temple and get himself killed. Several snake people from around him gave him mournful glances, and apologizing looks. 

“ENOUGH JAKE!” Jane snapped at him, her own eyes watering and her brows set into a firm crease, “HE CHOSE HIS PATH! JUST… just PLEASE stop trying to run, you’ll only get yourself killed!” Her voice was softer now, and muffled by her cheek against his back as she let out a soft sob. “J-jane’s right English, Ya gotta stop this shit now!” Roxy agreed, her grip tightening on his arm as he began to pull away from their grip. 

“THAT DOESN’T MATTER!” Jake shouted back at the girls, his heart hammering in his ears, several snake people now stopping to stare at the conflict, “Dirk could be hurt, or, good heavens, even be DEAD, and I’m not about to lollygag around when the poor fool could be stranded in that dastardly hole!!!” Jake yanked himself from the girls hold and he began to storm towards said dastardly hole. Jane shouted after him, more angered now than upset. “That’s just i-it Jake! Dirk’s stuck over a hundred miles below the surface, by gosh!!! After that, he’s probably dead! So, please, just sto-,” Jake turned on his heels, and shouted back at them with all his might, stopping her mid-sentence, “BUT I HAVE TO TRY! I JUST NEED TO BLOODY TRY BECAUSE IF I DON’T WHO WILL?! I JUST- I just… have to bloody try Jane, I have to…” Jake’s shoulders slumped, his confidence diminished as he turned to look behind him at the now non-existent temple. 

Latula, who had been witnessing the whole thing, stood from her seated postion and walked over to Jake, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. “H3’s gon3 dud3…”

Jake looked to the ground, his vision blurring with an onslaught of tears. “I-I k-know, b-but I t-thought, ma-aybe if I h-hoped hard enough, he-e’d come back again…” 

Latula moved her hand so her arms could wrap around Jake’s shaking shoulders, hugging him tightly as she blinked back a few tears of her own. Jake cried, countless thoughts of regret flowing through his mind. They had nearly lost him once, and now there was no way he could possibly be alive now and now he would never be able to tell Dirk he-

Wait.  
Jake had only chanced a glance upwards, back to the supposed grave of his best mate, when he saw a large rock shoot up into the air while being propelled by gazer water. Now, the Rock was a good few miles away from them, and it was coming from the middle of a large gazer field (which they had thoroughly avoided upon the direction of the Psionic, who said, “Unle22 you want to get 2everly burned, II’d 2ugge2t 2tayiing away from there”), but Jake swore, there was something, or someone, riding it…  
Jake broke free the Latula’s grip, his hand wiping at his eyes to clear his blurred vision. “Wh4t 1s 1t J4k3?” Latula asked carefully as Jake once again peered up the rock, which was held in the air by the gushing water coming out of the large crevasse. He squinted up at it determinedly, until he felt his heart stop as soon as he saw who was riding it.

“Dirk…” He breathed.

“D1rk?” Latula echoed confusedly. 

“Dirk.” Jake said again, slightly louder, drawing Jane’s and several other’s attentions. “It’s Dirk. It’s bloody Dirk!” 

Jake broke off into a dead sprint towards the Gazer’s, Latula too slow to grab him. He was grinning ear to ear with tears rushing down his face as he screamed from the top of his lungs, “IT’S DIRK! OH MY BLOOD GOD IT’S DIRK! AHAHAHA OH THANK GOD!!! DIRK!”

By now Latula, Roxy and Jane were running after him, each of them shouting at him, asking what the hell he meant, until the large Gazer drew their attention, and it was then that their voices feel flat and they only followed. 

While they were still beyond the border of the temples anti-magic dome, Latula changed her form, so that her wings were spread and ready to fly. Jake ran through the magic shield, into the gushing field of hot, hot water, which sprayed out of the earth and into the air. He didn’t care though, and he didn’t care when his arm was burned by the water. He just kept running until he was at the base of the largest Gazer, the one which kept Dirk in the air. Latula had passed through the magic field fine, and once through she took flight, darting towards the top of the Gazer. She was soon blocked from sight, however, and everyone waited with baited breath for her to return with the person above the Gazer. 

The gazer began to lesson, and the ball of rock soon dropped drastically down the middle of the wall of water. Just as it passed the top of the hole, Latula stepped out from between the wall of water onto solid ground. Hanging off her shoulder, an arm around her neck, a small smirk on his smug face, and Katana in hand, was Dirk Strider. 

“Dirk…” Jane said with disbelief, Jake’s voice escaping him so much so that he did notice until he was done that he had only mouthed the name without a single sound out of his mouth. Dirk, though, knew what he was saying because those amazing orange-gold eyes locked with his own. His voice sounding breathless with a few simple words “Hey English… cat got… your tongue?” 

He punched that blasted bastard right in the chest before grabbing him by the shoulders without a second thought and dragging him into a huge, tight hug despite Dirk’s crude protest. God he was glad he was ok. As they rushed Dirk back to the camp, Jake looked over the horizon, where the sun was setting and a bright contrast against the dark mountains.

One temple down, a whole adventure to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys notice any mistakes it's probably because I ended up rushing to get this done for you guys, so I'm sorry for any grammar/spelling problems! 
> 
> HAVE A GREAT SUMMER EVERYONE 0W0


	21. Void of memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave and the others continue to travel through the void, but a slight detours sheds some light on the world before Caliborn destroy the old world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LATE GUYS!!! I know I said I'd update before school, however I came back and had sooooooo much work to do, that when school started I couldn't start writing until a few days ago. I don't know how often I'll be able to update since school had just started, but I hope to get back to regular updates soon!
> 
> If you guys are still following this I'd love to see who's following in the comments 0w0 You guys have been awesome and I hope I can deliver great chapters from now on! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! ^w^

It’s been hours since they’ve crossed over from the second void portal.

Rose had been leading through the void to connecting portals, which she said would help quicken the trip across the void, but it appeared to have only caused Dave to have a massive head ache whenever they went through one along with an ear ache from Karkat’s nonstop bitching. Now a thick layer of ash clung to Dave glistening scales (some of the only vibrant colour in this place) along his lower legs and feet, the black shorts, which were his only clothing for the time being, were covered in a fine layer of that shit. He and John had continued to stay to the back of the group, like usual, to avoid Rose’s continual explanation of the place and the weird monsters within. Let’s be honest, some things aren’t meant to be explained, especially a fucked up place like this. 

The large ashen clouds swirled above them, the monsters within the vast blackness giving them curious and almost hostile stares, ones which Dave had caught Karkat returning on more than one occasion. Jade’s ears were perked up, twitching violently whenever one of those monsters let out a scream of terror and anguish from miles away. None of those things will come any closer to the group, Rose stating that they had been ordered not to disturb them as they crossed the void. However, who had ordered them to do so she won’t say, which was both interesting and worrying considering Rose wouldn’t stop spilling her guts about the place since they’d left. The void was not warm, nor was it cold, but somehow it still made Dave sweat and turn flush as an unknown and unwelcome chill set into his very being. John apparently wasn’t any better, as he had sweat dripping from his forehead, his cheeks a rosy hue as if he was burning up, and the only clue that he was otherwise freezing was the shudders which racked his body. 

Terezi, Kankri, and Rose appeared to be the only ones not affected by the weird as fuck symptoms which appeared to be tearing through the group. Kankri was hovering over Karkat like a mother hen, his face contorted into worry by Karkats clammy skin and his shaking body. Terezi was unconcerned about anyone, her nose pointed in the air as she sniffed curiously around at her surroundings, her toothy grin in place. Jade was up alongside Rose, following her like a lost puppy, her ear flat against her head as she growled at the far off screams. Earlier she had been rushing ahead of the group, exploring eagerly, until she came across a large horror terror dwelling within the inky black pools. After that incident, and after she began to experience the same symptoms as the others, she had decided to stick beside Rose. 

Dave was thankful for the fact that John had got bored with that whole “Hehe you can purr!” shit at the last portal, however since the last portal their conversation had also died down to nothing but idle glances and the occasional “bless you” when one of them sneezed from kicked up dust. Dave had been rolling the idea of why he transformed into a dragon around in his head and how he could explain it to John easier. John obviously hadn’t bought the “it’s just a me thing” BS he gave him earlier, as he had tried to dredge it up on a few occasions, all of which ended in awkward silence on his own part. Thankfully John had gotten the hint, and hasn’t brought it up since those last few times, but Dave just knew it was a matter of time before it was brought up again, and when it was there was a chance John wouldn’t leave him be until he told him the truth. He stared blankly at the ash below him, moving his feet a little fast through its thick layer just to watch as little hints of ash rose in the air in little plumes. 

Dave sighed deeply. Might as well get this over with.

He turned to face John, who was peering far off into the distance, his face scrunched up into concertation as if he’s trying to will himself out of the void by sheer thought. Dave opened his mouth at the same time that John’s eyes widened, the raven haired boy unknowingly cutting Dave off with a lough gasp.

“Look over there!” John shouted, effectively halting both the group’s advances and Dave’s half assed excuse. He ran to the front of the group, up to a curious Rose, the deep layer of ash beneath his feet parting from his path. His eyes darted left of the group, where they stayed locked as his hand came up rapidly to point a finger into the distance. Everyone’s heads turned towards where John was pointing, Dave feeling as if his heart dropped into his stomach as some long forgotten aching in his chest began to strangle him at the sight. Karkat gapped. “IS THAT-“

“A castle.” Dave breathed in response.

There, less than a mile away, stood an old, tarnished castle and village, which was covered in a fine layer of brown ash. Even with all the wear and tear, the castles gleaming gold pillars stood proudly, the god shining through the rust and dust to reach the group. Several flags laid dully from large, elegantly sculpted poles at the entrance to the village, unidentifiable expect for the purple tint on the weathered fabric. Without a command Dave’s legs were already carrying him towards the castle, an unknown force PULLING him towards it, as if it was where he belonged. 

“Dave! Where are you-?!” Jade began, though Rose cut her off. “Vadat…” (“Let him go… This would be a good place for us to rest anyways.”) Dave’s ears were ringing, and so those soft and worried voices of his friends never reached his ears, only their distant echoes pierced through the ringing sound.

Dave’s wings began to move in a flying motion, slow at first, but soon his wings were flapping franticly, his legs also picking up the pace, and if it were not for the fact that one of his wings were no longer whole, he’d be off the ground by now. His friends called after him, but he did not slow. He kept his dead sprint towards the castle, even as his legs began to ache and his lungs contract from the amount of ash in them. It wasn’t long before he breached the village entrance, where the wind from his wing caused the brown, ragged flags to fly in the wind. He only caught a glimpse of the symbol on them, but it was enough to make him run faster, his feet leaving the ground barely in a measly attempt to fly. 

“DAVE WAIT FOR US!! HOLY SHIT!” John shouted, his voice showing just how out of breath he was. Did he have asthma, Dave wondered vaguely as he raced towards the castle. He hopes not, because he would never want to do anything to hurt John. But he didn’t slow down, he kept his pace as he ran through the village, his stomach dropping further as bones, piles upon piles of bones began appearing. Groups of them were huddled together, some with the skeletons still enacted, wearing their giant, once magnificent armour and robes, their weapons helplessly beside those sad soulless bodies. It was obvious which species they were: Dragon Half-bloods, if the long tail bones and giant wings were anything to go by. The houses ranged from little cottages to large estates in many hues of purples, blues and greys (from what Dave could see that was not tainted by the ashes brown and grey colour), all decorated with the same banner or symbol which hung at the gate. 

Dave ran up the castle’s crumbling stairs, where he clawed his way over piles of ash and goop. He only stopped once he got to the top of the stairs, his body suddenly frozen in spot as voices echoed from within the giant castle doors, voices which were only a memory that were long since forgotten by his mind unwillingly. But he was frozen, unable to move forward in pursuit of the voices.

“Dave!” John called concerned, his voice breathy with heavy intakes of air, which was followed by the echoing footsteps up the stone starts halting as they came to stand alongside him. He couldn’t move, no matter how much he was trying to will himself to move to see his friends. He just stood there, his ruby eyes locked onto the old, grey wood doors which were unhinged and nearly falling off. They were adorned with decorative swirls along their outer boarders, a giant quarter moon adorning the left door, with an inverted one on the right. The same symbol which swept through this whole kingdom, one which was brought to the new world which he is now trying to save. This was old Derse, the one which his parents ruled before Lord English attacked, the one where his parent’s true legacy held strong in these old stone walls. And those whispers, those were of the gentle tune of his mother and the gruff proudness of his father. 

“Dave…?” John repeated, his voice filled with concern, “Hey, uh, are you ok…? Ah shit that’s actually a really stupid question of course you’re not.” Dave noted that John paused, noticing that Dave did not acknowledge his words, and soon his voice was projected in another direction. “Rose! Do Something! Dave’s not ok and that’s not OK! What’s wrong with him??” 

Rose had said something, but Dave didn’t catch it as his body finally began to work, his unsteady legs carrying him forward through the broken doors, into a wide, large castle hall, which had dark oak wood floors and glistening purple walls. On those wall were old photos of generation after generation of the half-blood dragons’ rulers, all of which were nearly indistinguishable other than the gold trim and crown atop the ghastly figures head. But the further he went into the hall, the more blurry the edges of his vision got, and the more vibrant the colours in front of him got, the pictures changing before his eyes into one not worn with age but ones taken care of to the highest degree, the old splotches of dust retreating to show the lovely pictures underneath. The voices grew louder as he approached the grand throne room, and his mind dismissed the odd change of setting, and accepted it all, even with the faint voice in the back of his head nagging him that this looked to be only a memory, not an actual occurrence. 

He enter the throne room, which was giant, with a high vaulted ceiling with equally as high stain glass windows, which let in the golden trickle of an early morning sun. Music of ancient quality filtered through the buzzing of the room, the small band playing in the far corner of the room. Fuzzy servants to whom he cannot recall their names dressed in light hues of purple and white rushed through the room, carrying trays of delicious smelling treats which were likely for the many nobles which were scattered throughout the room. Dave recognized a few of those nobles, and even some other kings. There was the Summoner, who looked MUCH younger, dressed in some of his most finely crafted enchanted armour, his orange wings spread wide and proud, a smug smirk adorning his face as he attempted to chat with an equally as young Mindfang, though his advances showed no signs of flirtation. Her black web dress which trailed behind her to cover her huge spider body was probably one of the more elegant ones in the room, as many were dressed in battle robes. But then again, she didn’t need battle armour considering her hard, natural arachnid armour protected her from danger. At their feet was a young Rufioh and Aranea, who were chatting and munching on some of those delicious looking goodies. Vriska was in a Nannies arms, and Tavros was next to his brother, listening in on the conversation but obviously understanding none of it. 

Dave saw many leader of the now prominent kingdoms. He wonders why they are all here, but it’s only a fleeting thought as his eyes lock onto the throne. There stood 4 thrones, 3 completely built and 1 under construction, all of which were equally spread out from one another to give some wing room. The tallest was the second to the left, followed by the second to the right, then the far left, and then the far right. The tallest had a huge dragons head above it, and it was obvious that it was the kings throne. The one next to it belonging to his wife. 

Sitting upon those thrones were his parents. His amazing, wonderful parents to whose eyes he had forgotten and to whose warm smiles and kind gestures were lost to him until now. His father’s hair was spiked much like Dirks, though it was longer, and he had a thick stubble of the same, bronzy red colour. He was in his true form, his large as fuck wings spread out beside his chair in a resting manner, his large, spiked horns jutted out from under his golden crown. His robes were a rusty red with white high lights. His mother looked as if she was made of pure gold, her scales glistening against the equally gold sunlight, her robes, an elegant yellow with red accents, draped down her body to frame her figure, one of an intelligent and caring queen with many years under her belt. Her smile was welcoming, her feathered wings curled around her lap as she used them as comfort. 

“Mom. Dad.” Dave croaked out, his voice feeling foreign to him.

As if on cue his parents looked his way, and his father laughed, and what a bellow of a laugh it was. Dave smiled, and began to laugh too, as he could see the utter joy in his father’s as they were fixated on him. “Come here my son, I promise I won’t bite!” His father said in a fatherly, loving voice. Dave was about to comply, a huge grin plastered across his face, when this sliver of happiness was ended. 

A young boy raced through him, LITERALLY right through him, his body giving way like a long lost ghost to the boy’s frantic movements. Dave felt his heart sink and he franticly clawed at his body, feeling it to make sure he was real. He had to be real, he had to be! Dave glanced to the side, where he saw a servant carrying a platter or baked goods, ones which he remembers as being too sweet for their own good. In an instant his legs carried him to the servant, his hand reaching out from one of the treats upon the platter, only to be met with his hand fading into mist and passing right through both the treats and plate. Dave looked down at both his hands in horror, and then at his body as the Servant passed through him to serve some well off noble behind him. His breath was now fast and clipped, his mind racing. He whipped around and rushed towards the throne again, stopping just a quick stride away from the foot of the throne area. The King, his father, had the young child who passed through Dave up on his knee, where he bounced the laughing chid up and down as he laughed along with him. The boy’s hair was short, and his wings tucked behind an orange cape, but it was obviously a young Dirk. 

His mother was still looking his way, her eyes looking bright, yet it was obvious from here she was just putting on a show, for when it seemed she had looked him in the eyes, his eyes lost their bright hue as some sort of despair over took her golden irises. That flash of guilt and grief only lasted a second as she adverted her eyes downwards, towards an even younger child who was pulling on her dress, looking for attention. His hair was bright white, his wings full of red tuff and his eyes were big with concern for his mother’s worried face. Nobody else caught onto her pain, no one but the child at her feet. No one but Dave himself. 

She looked down at him and picked him up in her arms, wrapping her wings around him tightly as she whispered sweet words to him to calm him down, none of which would reach Dave’s straining ears. 

Before Dave could step forward, before he could shout “I’m Dave! That’s not me! I’m the real Dave god damn it!” Someone else rushed into the room, an older man with a slumped back and long beard who wore the robes of a messenger. The guests, mainly the nobles, glanced at him with curious stares, while the other King and Queen’s conversations halted immediately as they stared at him with concentrated and studious looks of fear and concern. The messenger went straight to his father, who immediately set the now silent Dirk down so that the messenger’s message may be kept private as it was whispered into his ear.

Dave stopped himself from attempting to go further when his father’s face fell, his vibrant, burgundy eyes going dark, a crease now formed into his brow. His mother looked equally as worried, as if she already knew of the impending news, and with a raise of a hand his father silence the entire room. 

“I know many of you do not know as to why I had invited you here today, but I see that there is no way that I may dance around this topic any longer.” The King’s voice carried across the room in a loud booming voice, Dave flinching slightly as he found himself starting to remember this very scenario. Sure, it was still a foggy set of images and voices in his head, but he was starting to remember it all.

“Lord English, the God of Destruction, is angered with us all, and wishes us destroyed. He has already began destroying the wildlands, and he is coming ever closer to our major cities…” His voice was grave, his face contorted into worry and tiredness, as if he had been dealing with this problem for a very long time, and that he had been putting on a stiff upper lip until now. The room filled with urgent chatter, all eyes on the king.

His mother rested a hand on her husband’s shoulder, looking at him with concerned golden eyes. “Surely you can’t be so sure my dear. That is quite a way’s away, are you so sure it threatens us so?”

He nodded, his eyes carefully scanning the room before they fell to the floor in front of him. “Our best plan would be to retreat to the mortal world, as it is our best chance to hold our ground.”

Loud gasps and protests rang through the room, one of them being the Summoner, whose eye’s blazed with furry. “You CAN’T be ser1ous, D1reme! (So was that his father’s name? It was an old one, that’s for sure, an ancient name given to the warriors of their people…) You know how the mortal’s feel about us go1ng into their world! They may welcome us now but there are some among them which w1ll turn them aga1nst us all! What about you’re elders? The dragons? Don’t they have any solutions other than runn1ng off with our ta1l between our legs??” 

Direme, the king, gave the Summoner a pointed glare. “They were the ones that had advised me of this.” His voice was stern, and firm, making it known that this was not an easy choice for him to make. “In fact, it was Calliope’s descendants who told me to evacuate, and we all know they have direct contact to her, and if they say to get the fuck out of here, we get the fuck out of here!” Now the king was on his feet, marching over to the summoner until they were mere feet apart. “Summoner, you know I would not abandon the place I have lived in for many lifetimes over a threat we could handle. He is a god, one who is more powerful than any of our armies.” The fire ablaze in his eyes have now turned to embers, the fight seemingly gone from him as the tiredness returned to his expression. “Please, my old friend, respect my decisions, as they were not easy to make.” 

The Summoner, glared back at the defeated looking King, and instead he turned, picked up his two sons and began to storm out of the room despite the protests of his advisors. “1 w1ll not stand by and watch our world crumble, the fa1r1es w1ll defend th1s world, we1ther you do or not!” And with a slam of a door, silence fell once again upon the room. 

Dave gaped at the door. The Summoner was a good friend of his fathers, but maybe they were not the closest of friends at this point in time. Holy shit, this was before their world was destroyed, this was before everything went to shit-

And with a flash, the room blackened, flame and ash surrounded the room, broken vases and chandeliers lined the ground, along with broken bodies and blood. Dave felt his heart sink to his stomach. Golden light from the sun no longer shone through the lovely stain glass, but rather glow from wicked flames of a burning village added to the light of the already burning walls. Dave turned around quickly upon the sound of harsh coughing. It was his father, standing in the middle of the room, 2 young Nitrams and their father before him, his wife in his arms, and a broken army and civilians behind them.

His father’s golden armour was no longer pristine from lack of war, but now it was covered in grime, smears of black ooze, and coated in blood of his allies, his eyes stern but worried. The Nitrams were covered in blood, their clothes torn, Tavros crying in the nannies arms, while Rufioh looked to the ground, not looking at his parents or to the people around him. The Summoner had tears streaming down his cheeks, his wife, who had long black hair and fair skin, and who was the queen of the fairies for many centuries, the love of the Summoner for many more, laid lifeless in his arms. 

“1’m so sorry 1 ever doubted you, D1reme…. 1-1 made a horr1ble m1stake…” The Summoner started, looking back at his people before turning to look back at his wife, “and now 1’ve pa1d a pr1ce w1th the blood of the people 1 cared most about and who 1 sworn to protect.” He looked up at the king, his eyes pleading, “1 know 1 have 1nsulted you, and 1 know 1 have acted carelessly, but 1 hope you would take p1ty on me and my people, and allow us to escape through your portal to the mortal world.”   
The king looked down at his friend sadly. “Summoner, I would never deny that to you. Yes, you had insulted me and acted unreasonably, however it was in good intentions, and I would not let a whole race die at the hands of the monster.” The Summoner nodded slowly, thanking the king over in over as the other hugged him tightly. “She was my w1fe, my best fr1end, D1reme, and because of me she’s dead…” The Summoner said as the king pulled back from the hug. Direme frowned at his friend. “Nonsense, you did not wish this blight upon the land, and so it is not your fault. Now come, we must hurry and get everyone out of the death trap before that bastard returns.” 

And soon a crowd of people lead by his father rushed past him, towards a set of stairs beyond a secret door Dave could only assume lead to the portal they were talking about. And in a blink of an eye, it was all gone.

Dave standing in the middle of a burnt, old throne room which has not been disturbed for centuries, the tapestries which once lined the walls all gone, and the thick layer of undisturbed ash blocked out most of the floor. His eye’s burned, his heart was in his gut. His parents were in his grasp but in a moment they were gone. 

“Dave…?” Came a small voice from behind him, one which he had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. He found himself smiling to himself even as tears streamed down his face. His parents may be gone, and his brother is god knows where right now, but John, fucking John Egbert, who knew nothing about him that fateful day, decided to throw his life away to fight some bastard he didn’t even hear of until the day they left. Dave bit the inside of his cheek and blinked back the remaining tears. Gotta keep it cool even though this shit is the total opposite of cool. Dave turned around slowly, only to be meet with varying degrees of concerned looks, the most concerned being Terezi’s and John’s. He had hoped that that scene only played out in his head, but by the awestruck stares on Karkat and Jade faces, it was obvious that such hope was futile. 

“Uh, sup?” Dave tried, hoping it would break the tension in the room. When no one answered he looked awkwardly around the room while biting the inside of his lip. “So… I guess you saw all that, huh?” He added after a few moments.  
Thankfully Karkat stepped in and broke the tension the only way he could, with a lot of fucking swearing.

‘WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKING SHIT WAS THAT?? HOW THE FUCK DID THOSE PEOPLE GET HERE AND WHY THE FUCK WERE THEY PASSING THROUGH ME??” Karkat hollered as he marched forward in front of the group towards Dave, his face showing he was more confused than pissed. “WHY THE FUCK DID WE EVEN COME TO THIS FUCKED UP PLACE WHERE FUCKING DEAD ASS GHOSTS COME BACK TO LIFE AND PLAY OUT A FUCKING SCENE LIKE A PLAY?” Karkat turned to Rose, who was regarding the whole situation with a form of calmness. “LALONDE, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JUST HAPPENED, BECAUSE I KNOW SURE AS HELL YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED SO DON’T BULLSHIT ME OR SO HELP ME I WILL UNLEASH A RAGE SO FUCKING BIG AND WHIP YOUR ASS SO HARD EVEN LORD FUCKING ENGLISH WILL BE IN AWE AT THE AMOUNT OF ASS WHOOPING YOU WERE DELT.” 

“Etiam Karkat , (Yes, Karkat),” Rose began with a sigh, “ scio quod ita factum est, ut ipsi cernitis… (I do know what had just happened, for you see, this place not only acts on concepts, but just like a dream it can change the world around us to mimic an event which occurred here. However what you just saw was not a dream by any means. It was a moment, or two, which had been engraved into this places very existence, one which the void had held onto even as it took over this world. I believe that the presence of someone who was present during the event, which would be David, even though he may have no recollection of the event, had caused that moment which was bound in time to show itself through the manipulation of the void. Or, in simpler terms, Dave triggered the memory to play out, and once finished it dissipated.)” 

“SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT ALL THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THIS PLACE AT SOME POINT IN TIME AND IT’S NOT JUST MY BRAIN MAKING UP A FUCKING AWFUL HALLUCINATION?” Rose nodded, and Karkat groaned a “THANK FUCK” before turning to Dave who was biting the inside of his lip hard as more memories of this place, ones that the other could not see, played in his head. He was remembering how busy this play was, and all the sweets which adorned it and all the nice maids and butlers which Dave knows some of which perished in these castle walls after the attack. Karkat regarded him with a stern stare, looking him up and down, looking at his body language, because it was obvious Karkat knew shit was up, the bastard. “DAVE, I HATE TO DIG UP SHIT THAT WAS BURRIED UNDER LOADS OF HORSESHIT AND ZERO FUCKS, BUT YOU DON’T LOOK TO HAPPY.” 

In all honesty, Dave just wanted out of this place.

Just as swiftly as he come into the room, Dave walked pasted Karkat, looking straight but not looking anyone in the eyes, because he worried they would question him about all this, and if they did all he would be able to tell them is ‘I don’t even fucking know’. He walked pasted Karkat, walked past Rose, and John, and Terezi, and Jade, and Kankri. He walked past everyone and kept going. “Come on guys, let’s keep going,” He said as he exited the room, “I’m sick of this place.” 

================================

It had been hours since they left the old kingdom of Derse, and no one had said a word since. Rose had flown to the front and taken the lead once they had reached the edge of Derse, and now she was floating ahead of Dave, with John glued to his side. Under the advice of Terezi, everyone else had left Dave alone to contemplate what he just saw. He overheard her whispering about how he didn’t remember his parents, and how that was the first time he got a true look at them in many years. She was right, of course, but he just wished she would mind her own damn business sometimes. However, while everyone else listened to her and kept their distance, John was fucking glued to his side. After that talk John had ran to the front of the group and is keeping to Dave’s left.  
Dave found it sort of funny, in all honesty, because John would look over at him constantly, but it was obvious he was trying hard to make it inconspicuous, but it was obvious John was a horrible actor, especially now. Dave eventually gave into guilt when the sad and concerned look John had on got worse with each passing hour. Rose had already said that they were close to the final portal that lead to the temple, so before they go tumbling through into the unknown, he might as well reassure John he was ok.

When Dave noticed John was looking at him, he turned to lock gazes with him. Dave smirked when John turned red and adverted his eyes, attempting to make it look like he has no idea what Dave’s looking at. Dave’s smirk only grew with the thought. He was such a dork.

“John, I know you’ve been sneaking looks at this hot bod, but you could have been a little more subtle about it.” Dave teased with a smirk, hoping it would wipe that look off John’s face. And it worked, as John’s face redden and it turned into a pout and pointed glare. Dave got a good punch in the arm from him too. 

“I’m not looking at you’re hot bod you asshole!” John said, his pout deepening as Dave’s smirk grew.

“So you do admit I have a hot bod?” Dave quipped back.

“No!! I mean, technically I did, but that’s not the point! I wasn’t staring at it!”

“Buuuuuuut you did admit I have one.” Dave said, emphasising his point by poking John in the arm at the end.

“Ugggggh why I am even friends with you?” John groaned, pushing his glasses into his hair so he could rub his eyes in frustration.

“Because you love me, that’s why.” He said as he wrapped his arm around John’s shoulders before sighing, all playfulness gone. “Ok, look dude, I know why you were actually looking at me. Not because of my hot bod, even though it’s pretty damn hot. You were looking at me because of that memory, dream sort of thing? I don’t know, whatever the fuck you want to call it, but you were looking at me because of the shit that happened back at the castle.”

John returned his glasses to his face, his bright sky blue eyes now trained on him. “Uh, yeah, I was just making sure you were ok?” John asked unsure, causing Dave to raise a questioning eye brow at him. “Like, you looked so happy but when mini you or whoever passed through you, you looked absolutely heartbroken!” John looked determinedly at him as he continued. “I don’t fricking care what Terezi or the other say about giving you space! That’s a crappy way of comforting someone who’s obviously hurt, and until you tell me to, uh, fuck off, I won’t.”

Dave smiled at the ravenette he had his arm around, a genuine smile, because the unknown, amazing fluttery feeling in his chest was blooming, and it was trickling out through a wide smile. Dave’s wings flapped behind him happily, stirring up some dusty ash. Dave stopped in his tracks, then he wrapped both arms around John and hugged him tightly, resting his check against the soft, raven hair below him. John giggled as he wrapped his arms around Dave, who could feel that buck toothed smile against his shoulder. “Thanks bro.” Dave said into the fuzz of hair. “Anytime Dave, anytime.” John returned, giving Dave an affectionate squeeze in an attempt to pick him off the ground, which failed miserably. 

And just as it was Karkat who could dissipate tension with loud swears, it was also Karkat who could ruin a perfectly good moment with that same principle.

‘WOULD YOU TWO FUCKHEADS STOP BEING GAY WITH ONE ANOTHER AND GET YOUR ASSES MOVING! LIKE HOLY SHIT I SORT OF WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS DEATH TRAP SOONER THAN LATER.” Karkat hissed out as her walked past the two of them with Kankri in tow. Karkat pointed to a swirling portal floating off the ground just a few yards away. “SEE, DO YOU FUCKING SEE THAT?! WE’RE ARE NEARLY OUT OF THIS FUCKED UP PLACE. ONCE WE’RE OUT YOU CAN BE GAY ALL YOU TWO FUCKING WANT, BUT UNTIL THEN GET YOU’RE SOUPSHIT THINKPANS WORKING AND START MOVING!”

Rose merely rolled her glowing eyes at Karkat’s antics, but didn’t argue that he was wrong, as that was obviously the portal she had told them about, the one which would lead them to the temple.

John immediately pulled away from Dave’s grasp, his face an embarrassed red as his eyes darted to Karkat. “We were not being gay, Karkat!” John whined in defence, “We were engaging in awesome bro hugs! There’s a difference!” 

“NOPE, SORRY, DON’T SEE ONE.” Karkat responded as he continued to walk very smugly to the portal.

Dave was crackling up at John’s discomfort, however John didn’t find it funny in the least. He ended up punching Dave in the stomach, which only caused him to stumble back a little before his laugh turned into a wheezing laugh, one which he was doubling over for as he walked to catch up to John, who was now marching towards the portal. 

Once they got there, Rose motioned for one of the other’s to go first. She had explained that just as she was the first to enter, she would be the last to leave, as she needs to make sure that everyone gets out in one piece.   
“After you?” John said, motioning to the portal with his hands while doing a partial bow. 

“Well, look at you Egbert, way to make a lady blush.” Dave said with a smirk, earning him a pout. 

“Asshole.” John said, though it was obvious it had no venom behind it.

“Love you too.” Dave said teasingly as he could, hoping that the fact that he meant it with all his heart wouldn’t flow into his words.

He turned towards the swirling portal, knowing that none of them know what’s on the other side, and that he was risking his life at this very moment by going first.

But he would do anything for John, and so he took a leap.

His body twisted and contorted, his senses became overwhelmed, but not as much as before, and in an instant he was out among the clouds and the sky. With a breeze flowing over his face and his ruby eyes trained to the sky, he found himself falling in love for the blue horizon just as he had fallen in love with the gorgeous blue eyes and bucktooth smile a certain boy named John Egbert.


	22. The Temple of Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Group finally makes it to the Temple of Air/Breath, however it doesn't go as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! I am so, so, so sorry this took over three months to write!!! I had exams and school in general, and so I haven't been able to write much. But for some good news, this is my longest Chapter yet! It's over 16000 words!!! (26 pages on a word document OwO) I hope that helps make up for the wait! (Also sorry if it seems a bit rushed or not as detailed near the end! I really wanted to get this out to you guys!)
> 
> As for the next time I will be updating, I do have a writing class this coming semester, so I do hope to write more, however I may not get large chapters out till the summer or breaks! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

He fell to the ground beside the ruby eyed boy, clutching at his stomach and curling in on himself to protect his shivering body from the chill of the wind. 

A shadow quickly loamed over John, the wind ceasing in its assault, and when he peered over his shoulder he saw Dave, his full wing cupped around John and the portal to protect everyone from the onslaught of wind which was coming towards them. John smiled at him, and he got a soft smile in return. Karkat and Jade were the next through the black portal, both of them looking ill from passing through. Terezi and Kankri were next, and unlike the ones before them, they seemed unharmed by the portal’s effects, Terezi once again cracking up at the sight of a grumbling Karkat. In return she had gotten a big “FUCK YOU” from said grumbling mess. Rose was the last one to exit the portal into the harsh wind, her black dress landing softly on the rough stone below. She no longer looked creepy as fuck, and for that John was glad.

Even with the wind no longer attacking them, the chill of being high in the mountains was causing them to shiver. John grabbed his bag which had fallen next to him when he went through, and pulled on a warmer blue sweater and long winter cap to help block out the chill of the wind. “Smart thinking Johnathan.” Rose said as she too took out an old yellow jacket and orange scarf which she wrapped around her head. Jade refused any sweater John offered her, saying she could handle the cold even though her teeth were chattering against one another. Terezi just transformed into her half-dragon form, her webbed wings flapping and stretching at the fresh release, with new sharp horns protruding from her head. John gave her an odd look, which she responded with, “DUD3, 1F YOU D1DN’T KNOW, 1’M P4RT D4RK DR4GON, 4ND THEY USU4LLY LURK IN R34LLY COLD, 1CKY SM3LL1NG PL4C3S. TH1S W1LL B3 4 W4LK 1N THE P4RK FOR M3 BLU3 B3RRY! H3 H3.” After that awkward conversation with Terezi he turned to the others. Karkat and Kankri pulled out worn brown sweaters stained with blood, and it was obvious Karkat saw the horror struck face on John when he saw them, because holy shit! Did they-??. “FOR FUCK SAKES EGBERT, DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BLOOD BEFORE.” Karkat said with a pointed stare, as if reading John’s thoughts, “AND NO, BEFORE YOUR STUPID FUCKING EXCUSE FOR A THINK PAN JUMPS TO AN IMBICILIC CONCLUSION, WE DID NOT MURDER ANYONE.” John breathed a sigh of relief, thank gosh. “THESE ARE OUR FUCKING HUNTING CLOTHES FOR WINTER. WE’D FUCKING FREEZE WITHOUT THESE.” John smiled, “Well I guess it’s a good think you brought them then!” John began to laugh, turning towards Dave, “Haha! Dave can you imagine Karkat as an angry icicle- Dave!!” 

Dave was shivering profusely, his sharpened teeth clattering together, even nipping at his lip when he tried to respond. His wing was rigidly and determinedly still protecting everyone even though it was obvious he was barely keeping it up. John had totally forgotten that Dave had next to no clothes on beside his pants due to his transformation. John grabbed the closest sweater out of his bag, yanking it out along with a hat as he rushed towards Dave (Rose and Jade willingly caught a few clothes which were dragged out of the bag by accident before they blew away). John hugged Dave and turned them around so he was protecting (most) of Dave from the wind, the harsh, icy air nipped at his cheek, but he didn’t care. Dave de-transformed, his wings, tail and scales changing back into the tattoos on his body, which was absolutely frigid under John’s palms. John pretty much shoved the sweater on the shaky Dave.

“Oh my god Dave, I’m so, so, so sorry!” John said looking at the rosy nose, sniffling Dave, “I totally forgot you were wearing, uh, just pants!” John finished with a glance down at Dave’s worn pants. Dave gave John a small smile and a hair ruffle. “D-don’t worry b-bro. Gonna T-take more than some f-fucking wind to take Dave St-strider down.” John brought Dave closer to the others. “Guys, I think it’s time for a group hug!” John stated, pushing Dave into the middle of the small grouping. An echoing “HELL NO” came from both Dave and Karkat. “HOW ABOUT INSTEAD OF SHOVING OUR FREEZING FUCKING BODIES TOGETHER IN THE OFF FUCKING CHANCE SOMEONE COMBUSTS AND BECOMES A SHITTY FIRE TO WARM UP OUR SORRY ASSES,” Karkat said matter of factly as he paced around in the middle of the group, “WHY DON’T YOU USE YOUR ‘OH LOOK AT ME I’M A FLIPPITY FLOPPY FUCKING FLYING WIZARD’ WINDY FUCKING MAGIC AND STOP THE WIND FROM FREEZING OUR BALLS OFF???!” John found it hard to follow what Karkat was saying after he heard the grouchy grumpy pants say ‘flippity floppity’ while flapping his hands, which caused John and Dave to burst out giggling (but they weren’t the only ones!! John swears he saw Jade and Terezi let out a few laughs!). It was only after Karkat finished and everyone looked at John with wide eyes did the words actually register in John’s mind.

Oh-

“Joooooooooooohn,” Dave warned.

-shit.

John used said windy powers to shoot himself into the air, barely missing Dave’s pounce. “I said I was sorry!” John called below him as he barely hovered over the group, Dave jumping franticly in the air to try and get John, barely missing the boy in blue each time. “So fucking help me Egbert, if I get sick from this I will make you pay!” 

“I said I was sorry Dave!” John whined back, crossing his arms as he looked away from the jumping Dave and the laughing others. John felt his heart stop as he looked out into their surroundings. They were on the side of a mountain, probably miles above the base, the clouds below them. Misty figures and curls danced around and over the other, smaller mountains which poked up above the layer of clouds. The sun was rising over the horizon, casting a cascade of oranges and purples along the sky, sending the moon and stars running. The other must have caught his staring, as they too went quiet in awe. Holy shit, how could they have not noticed this before?

Oh right, him and (mainly) Dave’s were being drama queens.

“1T SM3LLS L1KE COTTON C4NDY 4ND OR4NG3 4ND PURPL3 GUMDROPS! STR1D3R, WHY D1DN’T YOU 1NFORM M3 4BOUT TH1S D3CL1SOUS S1GHT?” Terezi scolded, smacking Dave upside the head with her cane from a safe distance. “Hey!” Dave said, rubbing the back of his head in the offending spot, “Why do you ALWAYS do that Terezi? And also, fuck off, I was too busy dealing with this floating little shit to look around at the scenery.” Another wack upside the head, and John let out a laugh as Terezi dodged Dave’s attack, causing him to land on the hard, rough ground. Terezi patted Dave’s back. “B3TT3R LUCK N3XT T1M3 CH3RRY H3H3H3H3!” Karkat rolled his eyes as he walked over to the stony wall of the mountain to protect himself from the wind which was still attacking (oops! John thought idly, I knew I was forgetting something!)

Dave groaned, pushing himself off of the ground into a sitting position. John floated down before flopping next to the red eyed boy, where he then raised his hand and did a slow circling motion. The air pressure and atmosphere changed instantly, the wind which carried mists of clouds went around an invisible ball of air which now surrounded the group. Dave had been staring intently at John’s slow motions as if he was hypnotized (dork!), and John thought the best way to get him out of the trance was to send a small gust of wind to mess up Dave’s very light blonde (totally fluffy) hair. Dave snapped out of it immediately, looking at John with a glare as he patted down his hair, which was only moved to the side by John’s finger when he saw a streak of red under it. “Dave! You have a cut on your cheek.” Dave blinked twice before his eyes widened slightly (probably at the sudden realization), his pale hand coming up to touch the bleeding crevice (which was right under Dave’s right eye, closest to John, on his rosy tinted cheek). Dave moved his hand to look at it, and let out a light chuckle, “Damn, so I am. I’m pretty fucking sure Egbert that I’m not gonna bleed to death though.” Dave said with a smirk, one which turned coyer when he leaned towards John and batted his eyes. “But just in case, would ya mind kissin’ it better Johnny~.” 

John felt his own face heat up at Dave’s words, Jade making a kissy face behind Dave’s back so only John could see it. Bitch. Karkat opened his mouth and made a fake retching sound, which was only stopped by Terezi’s hand clasped tightly across his mouth, her own stretched across in a devious, yet oddly encouraging (?) smile. Kankri stood beside Rose near the portal, a small, knowing smile on each of their faces. John looked over at Dave’s smug face. His cheeks full of playfulness and coloured with a lighter shade of his eye colour, his shiny white teeth peeking out between his parted pink lips which were stretched into his smile, his eyes half lidded and his eyebrows cocked, egging John on, daring him. Dave’s red eyes sparkled too (or was that just John’s imagination?).

One second John thought he should kiss those lips to wipe that smug look off Dave’s stupidly adorable face.

The second John thought I SHOULD NOT BE THINKING THOSE THOUGHTS ABOUT DAVE!

The third, well, John thought that plan wasn’t so bad. No time like the present for a perfect prank!

John reveled in the way Dave’s, Jade’s and Karkat’s eyes widened as he leaned in, planting a firm kiss on the small cut, his eyes only fluttering closed upon impact so he wouldn’t see how red his own face got, because it felt like it was on fire. When he drew back he did so with his eyes opening half way, meetings met Dave’s, whose own were wide, filled with shock, embarrassment and… something John couldn’t quiet place. His cheeks matched his ruby Irises in colour now, and John noticed that that colour of fire also had spread down Dave’s neck (no doubt that he too matched Dave in colour right now). Dave was slacked jawed and John was sure if it wasn’t for how anatomy worked that jaw would have hit the ground and kept going to the center of the earth. 

He gave the red boy a devious grin which was masked with an innocent face. “Does it feel better Davey~?” John cooed back, and he gave himself a mental pat on the back when he saw Dave gulp and turn 3 shades darker (darker than his red eyes! John thought he’d never see the day).

John glanced over Dave’s shoulder as the boy looked to be having a mental meltdown trying to form words, over towards Jade, who was giving him the (second) most surprised face he had ever seen, her ears perked up and her brows raised high on her head (similarly to Dave’s, might John add). But that victory was short lived as Jade got a big, bright smile on her face and she began to bounce up and down in spot, her hands over her mouth to conceal the squeal she was probably releasing. John gave her a small eye roll, his smile flattering slightly. He glanced at Karkat and Terezi again, Karkat looked like he didn’t know what was up and what was down, while Terezi looked absolutely gleeful, giving John a thumbs up (even though it was slightly off, John sort of knew it was for him). He also saw Kankri and Rose share a look from the corner of his eye. 

Turning back to Dave, who looked totally out of it, tongue still tied as he fumbled for words. John became more flustered the longer he looked at Dave. “Uh, guys I think… I broke Dave?” John said with a slight laugh. 

He brought his hand up to Dave’s cheek and held it there when it shut up Dave’s blubbering. “Dave, come in Dave Strider, do you copy?” A nod. “Are you ok Dave? I didn’t break you did I?” Dave shook his head, a low rumble emanating from his chest. John smiled, poking Dave’s chest. “You know I’m going to have to start calling you Mr. Purrs-a-lot if you keep purring hehe.” Dave smiled at that, his voice finally coming to him (Thank gosh! John really doesn’t know what he would have done if Dave really was broken!). “Damn it John,” Dave said, batting John’s hand away, “You didn’t break me dude, it’s just… fuck I didn’t expect you to actually, um, kiss me?” Dave finished, shrugging. John felt his heart rate increase tenfold as panic set in. Oh my god, John thought, did I overstep his boundaries? Did I make Dave uncomfortable? Did I weird Dave out?! Shit, shit, shit!

“Oh, uh, shit, did I fuck up?” John said quickly, his panic making their way into his words, “Did I make you uncomfortable Dave?! If I did I’m so, so, so sorry-.” John was cut off with a crushing hug from the boy infront of him, the purr which rumbled in Dave’s chest now being more felt than hear by the boy in blue. “Cool it Egbuns, ya didn’t freak me out so don’t flip your shit. Just calm down ok?” John nodded, hugging Dave back, John giving Jade an even larger eye roll this time when she did the kissy faces and heart hand gestures at them. 

When they actually stopped hugging, Dave’s cool seemed to have returned, as he gave John another one of his signature smirk, but before he could speak Karkat beat him to it. “HOW ABOUT WE STOP BEING GAY AND MOVE THE FUCK ON ALREADY? CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GAYNESS, WE CAN HAVE A WEDDNG AFTER WE FIND THIS FUCKING TEMPLE AND WARM THE FUCK UP! HELL, ILL BE THE FUCKING PASTOR IF IT MEANS YOU TWO WOULD GET THE FUCK UP AND START MOVING.”

Ok, yep, John was definitely ready to crawl into one of the caves in this mountain and die. 

Dave, even though his face was red as a fucking tomato, turned to Karkat with an eye roll which quickly turned to a smirk once he saw Jade, who was laughing. “Well Karkles-,” “IT’S KARKAT YOU SHITSTICK!” “- I think that weddin you’re planning is more for you and Harely over there than it is for me and the blushing blue eyed Egbert over here.” It was now John’s turn to laugh at how red both Karkat and Jade got, Karkat running his hand through his white hair and not looking at Jade, who was very much so looking at him. “SHUT THE FUCK UP STRI-!” “I mean, it’s obvious that you didn’t mean it for us, cause obviously our Dragon Half-blood bonds are sealed in a much different way than through human marriage.” But of course, it was Terezi who would get the last laugh. “Y34H, US H4LF BLOOD’S DO SOM3TH1NG MUCH MOR3 FUN! R1GHT D4V3? OH 1 C4N JUST 1M4G1N3 YOU 4ND BLU3B3RRY TRY1NG TO-.” “Terezi!” Dave practically shrieked, looking absolutely embarrassed. John couldn’t bring himself to laugh at Dave anymore though (or himself, for that matter), and instead he stood up and help Dave to his feet through his embarrassment. “I think Karkat is right on one thing, we need to get to that temple, and soon!”

John knew they had a deadline, and they already fucked around and teased one another enough for today. Kankri decided to lead the way this time, Terezi up alongside him after saying “1 ONLY TRUST ON3 P3RSON 1N TH1S GROUP NOT TO G3T US LOST, 4ND TH4T P3RSON 1S NOT MR. PR34CH3R” John was once again going to hang out with Dave, he was planning on making sure Dave was really ok with what happened earlier even though he already said he was, but his cousin, Jade, had other plans. 

“Hey Dave, I’ll be taking my cousin for this hike, thanks!” Jade said quickly as she grabbed John by the arm. Rose came up beside Dave just as Jade began to yank John away. “Hello Johnathan, I, too, will be taking your dear old ‘friend’ for a bit as well.” Both girls had pulled both boys in totally opposite directions, both boy giving protest to their kidnappers (this is bullshit!). John was pulled back towards where Karkat was at the back of the group, and Dave was coaxed by Rose to the front of the group by Terezi and Kankri, a good 15 paces between the two, making John feel a bit sad that he wouldn’t get to talk with Dave.

“Ok,” Jade said calmly as she looked to make sure the others were out of ear shot at she let go of John’s arm, the trio following the other four’s trail through the rocky slope that was the mountain side. However Jade’s calm demeanor was only a passing phase it seemed as she looked at John with bright jaded eyes and a teasing smile. “Ok, spill, what the HELL was that about John?” Jade said, poking John’s shoulder as he walked alongside her, a blush burning it’s was across his cheeks. Come on John, think fast. “It was nothing Jade!” He tried to argue back, though the argument was pretty crappy, that much John could even agree with. And apparently Jade could too. “John, that’s a really crappy excuse.” Her expression went to her stern ‘tell me the truth now’ look. Damn it, John grew up with that look and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it always seemed to work. “Ok, ok, shit. Listen Jade, just don’t jump to any conclusions ok?” She nodded, Karkat also leaning over her shoulder to listen to the conversation. John let out a breath, only then feeling a bit winded as he realized that the ball of air around them had to double in size to accommodate the distance between the two main groups. Man, he could be hanging out with Dave, not getting interrogated by Jade, and be using less of his windy powers that use up fucking energy right now, but no, he’s doing the total opposite of all of those.

“Ok, so, when Dave teased me, I felt that he was about to one up me in, uh, this prank war? Yeah prank war we’re having!” John said quickly, fumbling over his words as he part fibbed, “And I just knew I had to get him back, so I, uh, took the opportunity he gave me!” Jade looked at John with an unimpressed look. “A prank war?” She asked dully, “Really John? That’s the best you could come up with? Geez, and I thought I was bad at lying!” “But you are!” Joh countered, not wanting to be called to worst liar ever (because that was Jades title!). “Ummm, if I remember correctly, all I do is laugh to cover up my lie, I don’t make up shitty excuses like you! Now, why did you REALLY kiss Dave?” Jade retorted, poking John in a similar spot to where John had kissed Dave on the cheek as she asked the question. “I-!” John began to argue, began to try and argue with what Jade was implying and that sickening, dreadful feeling in his gut, the feeling he got every time he tried to think of these ‘feelings’ he’d been getting recently and what they could mean. What they could turn into. And every time he’d thought about it that thought was always swept to the back of his mind, out of sight, because it honestly scared the crap out of him. But thankfully, before John had a chance to put his foot in his mouth, again, Karkat intervened, though it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Well, for John at least.

“JADE, YOUR COUSIN IS FUCKING HOPLESS,” Karkat said with an exasperated sigh, now prompting both John and Jade to look at him with equally curious glances, “HE IS A TOTAL OBLIVIOUS FUCK TO HIS OWN FUCKIGN FEELINGS. WAIT,” Karkat said, a thoughtful look on his face as if he was solving a puzzle, “I CAN SEE IT NOW, THE DAY HE FINALLY REALIZES HIS FEELINGS AND FUCKING IMPLODES.” John groaned. “There aren’t any ‘feelings’ Karkat! It was just a joke!” Karkat looked directly at John, as did Jade. “NO, I DON’T THINK IT WAS JUST A FUCKING JOKE MR. ‘I’M NOT A FUCKING HOMOSEXUAL’.” Karkat voice rose with each word, John worrying the Dave and the other’s, who were still a quick job ahead, but not far enough that Karkat’s raising voice wouldn’t reach their ears. “NO,” Karkat continued, “NO, I BELIEVE THAT YOU, JOHN WHOEVER THE FUCK EGBERT, IS ACTUALLY SCARED THAT YOU’RE GA-!” Karkat’s shouting was cut off abruptly as John quickly divided the large ball of air into two separate ones, Karkat, Jade and John in one and the other’s in the one up ahead. It took more work on John’s half, but he would just DIE if Dave was to hear that accusation! “GAY…” Karkat concluded with a smug grin slowly spreading over his face, Jade’s own face lighting up at the big reaction John had. 

“John! Are you really-?” She said, curiosity seeping into her word.

“No Jade!” John shouted loudly, now able to speak his mind, loud and clear like Karkat, in their sound proof prison of air, “NO! I am not gay! I mean, I’m not attracted to human guys at all ok?” Karkat’s smug grin grew smugger on his shit eating face. “OH, SO YOU’RE NOT ATTRACTED TO HUMAN GUYS AT ALL? WELL DAVE’S EXCLUDED FROM THAT LIST SINCE HE’S OBVIOUSLY NOT A FUCKING HUMAN. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, I AM CORRECT, THAT YOUR SHITSTICK BRAIN IS MALFUNCTIONING AND TRYING TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR A CERTAIN DICKHEAD STRIDER.” John’s face heated up. Of course he wasn’t attract to huma- any guys at all! It was just a slip of the tongue, gosh damn it! Good job John, you put your foot in your mouth once again. Though Dave was really funny, and friendly, and an adorable asshole, and- wait, shit, SHIT! 

“I-I,” John stuttered, trying to get a mental footing as the foot hold he thought was sturdy beneath his minds feet, the foot hold being his mentality that ‘IM NOT GAY!’, was beginning to crumble to dust. “JADE,” Karkat began, motioning towards John as he grabbed his own hair as he began to mumble ‘can’t be fucking true, just can’t’ under his breath, “I BELIEVE THAT THIS RIGHT HERE IS HIS SHITHOLE THINKPAN FAILING MISERABLY TO IGNORE MY WISEDOM. I BELIEVE HE IS HAVING A MENTAL FUCKING IMPLOSION.” 

Eventually the little rusty gears in John’s head began turning. 

Dave wasn’t human, John wasn’t attracted to human guys.

He was attracted to fucking half-dragon ones with bright red eyes who’s smile made his heart stutter.

Fuck. 

The ait bubbles around them disappeared in an instant, the sudden harsh wind causing everyone to gasp or shriek in surprise as it struck their exposed and unprepared faces, except for John. John was currently losing consciousness at this sudden revelation, and his darkening vision was soon met with harsh stone digging into his cheek and side. Man, way to act cool, John thought numbly as his vision blacked out entirely, the voices of Jade and Karkat asking if he was ok sounding further away, you just HAD to faint at the realization your gay for your best bro. Good Job John, the winner of the worst reaction ever goes to you.

His self-depreciation thoughts were cut short when the world began to come into focus again, the blur of the world coming into clarity along with the harsh wind licking at his cheek. His hearing also came back, and he soon pieced together his surroundings. He was currently in Dave’s arms, the other boy looking away from the dazed John, towards Jade and Karkat, his eyes hard and demanding as he asks harshly “What the fuck happened?? He just passed the fuck out of the blue and you two don’t know what happened?” John blinked blearily as his eyes, and only his eyes, shifted over to look at Jade and Karkat, the first looking apologetically at Dave and the second looking less so. “NO, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED.” Karkat huffed out, angry at Dave’s accusations and obviously still frustrated by the previous conversation which took place while John was in no man’s land. “ONE SECOND HE’S FUCKIGN FINE THE NEXT HIS HOLLOW HEAD FULL OF IMBCILIC IDEAS IS HITTING THE STONY ASS GROUND! HOW THE FUCK WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE’D TAKE A FUCKING SWAN DIVE TO THE ROCK?” John was surprised when he heard (and felt) a low, warning growl emanate from Dave’s chest that traveled to be cut short in his throat. “Don’t say he’s an imbecilic dumbass you asshole, he’s probably smarter than half of us here, so shut the fuck up!” 

“Boys, boys, please calm down,” Rose said stepping between the two fuming bodies before she looked down at John in Dave’s lap, her eye brow perked up curiously, “it appears Johnathan has come back to his sense. Dave’s ruby eyes snapped down to meet John’s blue ones as Rose slowly lowered herself, her hand feeling John’s forehead. “Are you alright John? Are you feeling light headed still? Ill?” she questioned, her eyes filled with concern, though he could see the knowing glint in them, which lead him to believe she was just putting on a show for his own good. That he was grateful for. 

“Uh, yeah, I, uh,” John stuttered finding it hard to tear his eyes away from Dave’s a blush creeping up on his cheeks, Dave soon sporting a matching colour, “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” Dave looked at him cautiously, and he seemed reluctant to let John sit up in his lap instead of being cradled. John sat in Dave’s lap with his legs draped over one of Dave’s, his hands carding through his hair as he let out a shaky breath. “You sure you’re ok dude?’ Dave asked while eyeing John up, obviously not buying that he was fine, “You look really red, are you sure you’re not catching a human cold or some shit?” Dave then got that playful smirk that John found himself adoring, “Cause let me tell you, if I get it and I start hacking and coughing up fucking fire balls, I’ll be sure to come after your ass for it.” John couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. “No, I promise I’m not getting sick! Trust me, you’d know if I get sick, because I sneeze like there is no tomorrow!” 

John shifted through his thoughts, trying to find an excuse as to why he fainted so abruptly other than ‘so guess what? I did a nose dive because I found out that I’m totally gay for a dorky dragon guy whose lap I’m currently sitting in’. John’s scrambled to ignore the thought that he’s actually sitting in Dave’s lap (man, when did he get so gay???) to actually come up with a legitimate excuse. … Bingo. “I think I overexerted myself when using my magic is all…” John said, half lying, because he still felt fucking drained from his magic tricks, but damn isn’t he happy he did that now, because right now it’s saving his ass. 

Rose seemed to have caught on, nodding in agreement as she helped John to his feet. “Yes, that’s most likely what happened. John, from here on out do not use your powers unless you absolutely need to, as we don’t want you becoming ill while were on one of the highest mountains in the world.” John nodded, knowing he would have to abide by this rule if the look Rose was giving him was any indication. “Ok, ok, I promise.” John self a chill run up his spine as a rush of cold air chilled him to the bone, and the shiver that ran up everyone else proved he wasn’t the only one feeling this way. “But if I don’t use my powers to divert the wind, we’re going to free to death!” Jade shook her head at her cousin, walking over to him to pat him on the back reassuringly. “Don’t worry John, I’m sure my powers could come in handy!” John eyed his cousin wearily, “All your powers an do those is make stuff bigger or create things…” John trailed off as Jade’s smile broaden. With a quick turn and an outstretched hand, her expression shifted from one of joy to concentration, and soon her hand was sending spouts of green energy towards the ledge of the mounting, where a wall of rock began to rise from the earth, along the barely there path. The rock rose just above everyone head, just enough that if they stayed close to the wall, no wind would hit them. The wall didn’t stretch far, only large enough to block the wind from hitting their current position, but it proved there were other ways of protecting them from the chill. Jade smiled triumphantly, not seeming very phased other than her breaths picking up in pace slightly, like she had just walked up a small hill. 

“There!” She said, turning back towards John, who was now helping Dave up, “I can totally stop the wind from hitting us! Even though the clouds will still float around us, you can take it easy.” John whined, “But Jade! You can’t do that all the way up the mountain! We still don’t know how long it’ll take to get there!” It was now Terezi’s turn to butt in. “DON’T WORRY BLU3 B3RRY 3GB3RT, 1 C4N T3LL W3’R3 NOT F4R FROM THE W1NDY PL4C3 NOW, 1 F33L 1T 1N MY BON3S!” Terezi said, starting to walk up the winding path once more, Kankri sighing and letting out a small “I’ll g9 make sure she d9esn’t die….” Before he began following her. Jade rolled her eyes before she looked up the mountain, John and the other’s turning their heads as well to follow her gaze. Somehow, even though it was obvious they were already way above the cloud line, which now blanketed the earth from view, the mountains peak was still shadowed in mist and clouds, which appeared to swirl around the mountain as if some unnatural force was drawing the clouds towards it. 

If that’s where the Temple of Breath was, Terezi was right, it definitely wasn’t far now.

“Well,” Jade said, looking determinedly up towards the tuff of clouds, “I guess that’s our destination?” She turned and began walking towards where Terezi and Kankri stood waiting, both seers at the end of the rock wall. “HURRY UP 4ND M4K3 MOR3 G14NT ROCK SH31LDS L1M3 3Y3S! W3 H4V3N’T 4 MOM3NT TO W4ST3!” “Yeah, yeah I’m coming toothy, hold on.” Was Jades elegant response. Maybe she was spending too much time hanging out with Karkat…

“HOLD THE FUCK UP, DON’T LEAVE ME HERE WITH FUCKING DEATH INCARNATE, DUMBASS WITH GLASSES AND HIS CO-CONSPIRATOR!” Karkat screeched accusingly, following behind Jade quickly. “My, I am flattered.” Rose said amused, obviously proud of the terror she’s been inflicting on him. “Love you too Karkles!” Dave shouted back, beginning to follow the group of four as Jade continued to create protective walls along the path to protect the ones behind her. Rose grabbed John’s arm before he was able to catch up to Dave, the other walking along, no longer close to Rose or John but also not close to the other’s, and it made John’s heart ache at how lonely Dave began to look the further away he got, and how he became slightly fuzzy when a stray cloud would pass over him. John tore his eyes away from Dave to look at Rose, who was looking at him with velvet purple eyes, which seemed to know all yet shrouded her answers from the light of day. 

“I would like to talk to you Johnathan about… David.” When she paused she looked towards Dave as if asking if it was alright for her to continue, and when the boy did not turn around and when a glint of certainty flashed across her vision, she continued. “I wish to talk about his behaviour recently, as I am sure you are curious as to why he’s been acting oddly.” John frowned, looking towards Dave and beginning to walk forward, not fast enough to catch up to Dave but fast enough to keep pace with the group. He was curious now, and if it was about Dave he was even EXTRA curious now. “I didn’t see him acting weird…” John muttered to Rose, who was walking alongside him, her hand tracing along the rough rock which had been placed up in a wall by magic. “I know, it’s obvious you don’t,” Rose sighed, a bit bemused. “Hey, I’m not that oblivious!” John retorted, his frown deepening for a moment until he, too, sighed. “I guess Dave’s been teasing me more, but that’s about it?” John said, his voice going high at the end in a questioning voice, unsure of his answer. Rose, apparently, knew this would happen, continuing without missing a beat. “Yes he is teasing you more, but he also is becoming very protective of you, and teasing you is his way of coping with it.” Rose stopped tracing the cracks in the rock, preferring to tuck her chilled hand into the small pockets on her coat. “Dave himself is having a hard time understanding his behaviour, but I may have a suggestion as to why he had been acting this way.” Her violet eyes were now staring into John’s, her lips pursed in a contemplative manner. “I believe he has made a bond with you unknowingly.” 

“A bond?” John asked dumbly.

“Yes John, a bond.” Rose said patiently, reverting her eyes back towards the other, John doing the same. As she paused, John saw that they were now traveling at a steeper incline, but the rough, barely there path was now replaced with precisely cut, smooth stones, like ones you would see in a garden, which lead up into the large bundle of clouds near the peak. Not long now. “The bond,” Rose continued in a way that made her sound wiser than anyone else before her, “is something that is only applicable with dragons and their descendants. The eldest of dragons had once had no purpose, but they had a strong urge to protect those of magic who were both created by it and who wielded it, so that they wouldn’t be destroyed by it. They are the oldest of mythical creatures, and so they looked after all others. The urge to bond themselves to someone or something is unimaginable, and they often seek someone or something out once they reach a certain age.” John made a face, and Rose corrected herself. “It is not a sexual interest, John, it is an urge to care for something that needs cared for. This is why some dragons will hoard treasures which are blessed or cursed, as they are somehow lured to the enchanted relicts with the urge to take care of it. Other’s bind themselves to wizards or other creatures with honed magical abilities, hoping to keep their magic both under control and show them how to enhance their abilities, though it takes longer for dragons to form bonds with different species than their own. This is why when, back before magic was outlawed, it was an honour to have a Dragon companion, as it showed how honourable you were, to have one of the oldest of creatures’ think of you as someone worth teaching and protecting.” Rose looked at Dave with an odd look, like curiosity. “With dragon half-bloods, however, these urges usually never surface, but David here, and possibly his brother, are both exceptions. I believe this may have to due to their pure bloodline and their ability to transform into full-fledged dragons…” 

John scratched the back of his neck, the black hairs on his nape tangling around his fingers as he spoke, “So… Dave made a bond with me because I’m magical? Like, it’s one of his strange dragon urges?” He tried, hoping that was all. A small smile spread across her face, a fond one. “Sort of, though with his human side, I presume it’s more complicated than that.” John stopped scratching his neck in favour of running his hand through his hair, letting out a disgruntled sigh as he looked to her with an annoyed stare. “Rose, how can it be more complicated than that?? More complicated than ancient magic dragon urges?? More complicated than saving the fucking world from a giant ass dragon demi-god??” Rose merely smiled, and before John could let out another complaint, he bumped into said half-blood, the stumbling forward into Karkat, who let out a loud “WHAT WHERE YOU FUCKING GOING STRIDER!”

John blushed, not meaning to have caused the train wreck of colliding bodies. “Hey don’t look at me Vantas, I didn’t body slam you on purpose.” Dave said defensively, raising his hands in the air as he gave Dave a pissed off look, his lips drawn back in a threatening snarl, though Karkat’s size made the threat none-existent. “Sorry Karkat! That was my fault…” John intoned, hoping that would ease some of Karkat’s rage, “I wasn’t looking where I was going while I was talking to Rose-.” John trailed off when he turned to gesture to Rose, who was no longer at his side. Where the hell did she go?

“John is right, we were chatting and he hadn’t seen the oncoming obstacle.” Rose said, drawing John’s and the other’s attention. John saw that they were now at the base of that swirling mass of clouds, several of which floated past the group on its way towards the cyclone, though there appeared to be no force drawing the teens into it. Rose was standing the closest to the wall of clouds, Jade sitting next to her with her head resting against the last of the rock wall. Terezi and Kankri were off to the side, looking at Rose expectantly to continue, the other three boy’s standing between them. “Though I think we have more pressing issues right now, Karkat.” Rose elaborated her point by trying to place her hand through the shifting clouds, only for the clouds to condense and made a wall of air that prevented her hand from pushing through, even when she tried to use her powers, which only created sparks of golden light when her hand lite up against the clouds with her light magic. 

Terezi pouted at it, sniffing the air quickly. “4W M4N, TH3 B4N4N4 M4G1C 1SN’T WORK1NG, 1S 1T L4LOND3? D4MN 1T, 1 DON’T TH1NK MY M1ND POW3RS WOULD WORK 31TH3R.” She crossed her arms, her face scrunching up into concentration as a little, bright turquoise light shone from the middle of her head, even more sparks of magic shooting off the wall, each one emanating at a different point on the wall as if the magic was not concentrating on a single point, but rather being spread over the wall. “1 C4N’T 3V3N FOCUS ON TH3 CLOUDS B3C4US3 4LL TH3Y SM3LL L1K3 1S NOTH1NG GOOD!” Terezi ended up rubbing her temples, her eyes scrunched shut as if she was warding off a migraine. Jade just sighed, everyone knowing she didn’t have the energy to use anymore magic.

“Shit,” Dave huffed out, peering around as if the chilled air around them and the rough rock beneath their feet would give him the answers, “Well, I know that I have jack shit powers while in my human form, so I won’t be much help…” Dave turned around, eyeing John for a second, sizing him up, before a smile swept across his face. “Buuuuuuuuut I think I know a dork who might be able to help us out.” 

“I’m not a dork.” John argued, staring at Dave accusingly. Dave’s smiled only broaden. “I never said your name.” John’s eyes narrowed more, “But it was implied!” Dave rolled his eyes, slinging an arm around John’s shoulders and directing him towards the front of the group, near Rose. “Well you got me there Egbuns, but now is not the time to argue whether I called you a dork or not, we already know you are one. Right now it’s time to work your magic-,” he said the last part while pushing John towards the wall of clouds, doing Jazz hands at the mention of ‘magic’ when John turned around to give him a glare, “-on that wall.” John rolled his eyes at Dave antics, deciding to turn away from the Ruby eyed boy towards the gathering of clouds. Suddenly his throat felt tight.   
“Um…” John said, raising his shaking hands towards the cascading wall of mist, “what do I do?” 

Rose smiled, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Well Johnathan, what do you think you should do?”

“I should…” John trailed off, his senses soon going into a tunnel vision, which only focus was the wall of air before him. He heard the thunder of the wind within that protective field, the thunder which was previously mute to them. Could see the layers of clouds which engulfed the temple, and he could smell the freshness of them. But most importantly he could feel them at the tip of his fingers, he could feel them as they bended to his will, as they parted with roaring winds crashing down upon the group from behind, the pressure difference in the middle sucking air in towards it at rapid speeds as the wall parted by John’s command. He could see out of the corner of his eyes that Rose was hanging onto her hood with a white knuckle grip, Dave, who appeared to have moved up beside her (whether by himself or by the sheer force of the wind is unclear), had his hands covering his face, his platinum blonde hair, which was nearly white, flailing about under the wind. John only had a fleeting thought that everyone else no doubt matched his two friends, covering their faces or hanging onto their scarves.

As soon as an opening was established, John’s hands fell to his side at the same time he slumped to his knees, which gave out on him the same time his vision blurred to near blackness with his head feeling heavy as lead with tiredness. John couldn’t fall the rest of the way, though, as two sets of arms were around him in a flash, one with a more firm grasp and one with a more gentle one. “John? Hey magic boy, wakey wakey.” Dave said, now in front of John, patting his face and smirking when John’s eyes finally focused on him. “There we go twinkle toes. Nice trick, not so nice slip.” John blinked a few times, looking past Dave towards the opening he had made. He was exhausted, and usually he was able to move clouds easily, make them into shapes or push them out of the way without a sweat. But this… this time it was different. Those clouds were definitely enchanted, because it felt like they were constantly pushing back against his outstretched hand, against his magic. It may have appeared like it was an effortless endeavour, but it was probably one of the most taxing tasks John had ever done so far with his magic. 

“John, are you alright?” Rose inquired, the gentle hand on his shoulder and under his left arm releasing him as he slowly stood, though weary hands still stood near. “I sensed a surge of mana coming from you but I did not think you were that drained…” Rose trailed off, contemplating. Dave scoffed. “It doesn’t matter how drained he was before, obviously that shit took a lot out of him. He just moved a big ass magic cloud, that shit takes real skill.” Dave said the last part with a playful grin, aimed towards John. He rolled his eyes at Dave’s antics. If he puts it that way, it doesn’t sound so hard, but it is!

“Thanks Dave for standing up for my man grit…” John said with a sigh, even though a smile tugged at his lips, “But I just want to get this over with and see what’s in this temple.” 

John straighten his back, looking down the shifting tunnel with narrowed eyes. He could see a glimmer of blue and white and gold at the end of tunnel of clouds, but he couldn’t make out specific objects. He looked back towards the others, giving them a brief nod towards the tunnel before he turned back, his body beginning to move from its resting spot down into the entrance of a long lost temple made by his own hand. John didn’t have to look back to know that the others were following. It had become second hand now, follow the one who moves, follow the one whose taken charge, and hope for the best.

John drifted closer to the shifting wall of clouds which had parted for them. Here he held out his hand, running the tips along the wall and watching as blue sparks erupted from his hand to dance along the clouds, magenta sparks meeting them. He peered at these dancing sparks, memorized. He could feel the energy from those sparks that were not his, as if there was something else that was watching them, following them, leading them down the path. One magenta spark touched his finger and he quickly withdrew as he felt a surge of energy hit him like a freight train. He let out a bite curse under his breath and glared at the wall, his feet never missing a beat. The mass of sparks which had erupted at his fingertips now dissipated from the wall, the only traces of sparks were of tiny magenta lights dancing behind the wall and little flashes here and there. Whoever, or whatever, those sparks belonged to appeared to be agitated with their arrival if the jolt of energy he received was anything to go by. But on the plus side he was no longer tired. In fact, he actually felt no longer tired or drained of energy, he felt like he could cast a large spell again at any moment. Maybe those sparks had something to do with it…..

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of roaring thunder coming from behind him, his ears ringing from the sound. His head whipped around, his eyes widening at the entrance to the tunnel began to close, the clouds collapsing in on the entrance with a hiss and roar. Everyone was frozen in stark horror, the entrance still far from their grasp.

Thankfully Karkat never can shut up.

“RUN YOU GRUB FUCKS, RUN!!!!” He shouted, snapping everyone out of their still stances, John breaking off into a sprint towards the exit, the footsteps of his friends stomping behind him was barely auditable over the sound of the crashing clouds and the thunder they caused. ‘Holy shit, what was happening?’ was all John could think about, because he knew for a fact that his magic had been keeping this place from crashing in on them, but somehow his magic was being overruled, and judging by those magenta sparks of thunder crashing through the clouds before him and making them alight with a pink hue, it was whoever was in charge of this temple. Looks like they aren’t so friendly after all. 

They were closing in on the entrance, John a quick sprint away, but a shriek from behind him caused him to look back as he ran. The crashing wall of clouds was close to Rose and Jade, the two girls sending John scared looks just as the clouds from around them came crashing down in a thunderous advance, engulfing them, their legs unable to get them away from the destruction. Jade had reached out in front of her for help, but her hand was swept way in the mist. “JADE!” John cried in agony as he watch his cousin be taken away from him. Was she hurt? Was she alive? He didn’t fucking know. He stopped, the entrance just to his back, no less than a metre away, the light from the temple shining around his shadow. He didn’t think he was that far ahead of everyone, but somehow his legs had carried him faster, everyone was nearly 3 yards behind him. The next person to fall was Kankri, who tripped on a stone which jutted out of the ground. He had turned around Just in time to watch in horror as the cloud crashed upon him. Karkat stopped halfway to the exit, his eyes wide as he stared where his brother disappeared. Karkat shouted, but it was lost over the growing thunder of the clouds. Terezi stopped, obviously cursing under her breath as she grabbed Karkat’s arm and began to drag him forward, but her strength up against a fighting, grief stricken Karkat was nowhere near what she needed to get them to safety, and they were the next to follow his brother in the storm. Rose and Dave were left, but it was obvious they weren’t going to reach the exit in time. 

“Run John! God damn it get the fuck out of the tunnel while you still can!” Dave shouted, loud enough to barely be heard over the approaching cloud. John felt his heart constrict in his chest, he couldn’t leave them and he felt like shit for not doing anything. He was scared for his cousin and horrified at what might have happened to her. He was scared for everyone, and he couldn’t handle Dave telling him to save himself right now. “I can’t! I don’t know what to do but I can’t just leave you guys!” John cried back, taking a step towards them. “Johnathan Egbert so help me, if you take one more step towards us instead of that temple I will transform into a horror terror upon death and haunt your soul for eternity!” Rose should over both boys, her expression tense and serious, obviously knowing they aren’t going to get out of here in time, “Get out of here! Now!”

There was a finality in Rose’s voice that told John this was not a decision he could chose, and with one last glance towards Dave’s hard set and fearful eyes and Rose’s stern face, he turned around, promising to himself and Rose that he would not turn around until he was out of the collapsing tunnel. His heart ached as did his body and soul, he ran, but his eyes were blurred with tears and so the temple of blue and gold and pearly white stone was blurred to him, but he ran towards it and whatever it held regardless. He pushed himself the last few feet of the sprint, and once the last of the mist pasted the corner of his eyes and he was in the clearing, he turned around, hoping against hope that at least someone could make it. Instead he was greeted with the sight of Rose and Dave’s figures disappearing behind the wall of mist and smoke. John cried out, and as he took a step towards the tunnel, the rest of it collapsed in on itself, sending John flying back to the rough rock and patches of grass below. John was stunned for a moment, blinking away the dust which was tossed up by the blow, but once he got his bearings he was up in an instant, throwing his whole body against the clouds in hopes of joining his friends, wherever they were. But as his luck would have it, the wall of cloud was now solid, the same impenetrable force field which bound it closed earlier now locked him in.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. no, no.

John found himself chanting those words in his head, which soon flowed to his tongue as each attempt to break the barrier with shear brute force was proving to be pointless. Tears of grief and anger were rolling down his cheeks when he backed away from it. He brought his hands up in front of him like he did before to open it, though this time his hands were not shaky. They were firm and they were glowing intensely like his emotions. John yelled loud, a deafening yell as his fingers splayed out and blue, powerful wind magic rushed before him, from him. He could manipulate the wind, push it around himself and over and change the air pressure to do it, but this was different. Here, right now, as his heart was poured into the magic pouring from him, as his anger and grief flowed from him into the powerful cascade of swirling blue tinted wind so strong it could knock over a castle walls and cause an indent in the impenetrable wall, it was different. He was not only manipulating wind, but he was creating it. He was creating new air, new wind, with his magic, tinted a lighter shade of his eyes. The air was not glowing with his magic like it usually would when he controlled it, this time the colour was embedded within it, making it his. But this burst of energy came fast and left just as quickly. The blue in the air dissipated moments after the last breeze of magic left John. He huffed tiredly, his glassy eyes looking towards the wall of cloud, his glasses falling from his paled face. The indent he made, which looked like a crater created by an explosion, slowly began to move, to shift. Slowly it was filled with new clouds, and in moments all his hard work and his expression of his grief and anger were gone, like dust in the wind. 

“No…” Was the last breath he let out in a hiccup, his eyes blurring and wetness coating his cheeks. He fell to his knees, his hands outstretched to catch him as he cried out in grief. No amount of magic could take it from him, and it festered inside him, and made him sick. John bit his lip, swallowing the lump in his throat, only a pained sob escaping. He lifted his head and saw his glasses only a foot away, and with an outstretched hand he took hold of them, wiping the dirt from their lenses. As he did so, he was reminded of Jake, who wore a similar pair. Then he thought of Jade, and the tears which had subsided momentarily came back, but no longer from grief and sadness. Now the tears came with rage, the grief inside him turning into a flame of vengeance. Whoever, or whatever, controlled this temple took Jade from him, Dave from him, Rose from him, every one of his closest friends from him. He was no longer just grief stricken from the loss, but enraged at the ones responsible. 

He stood on shaky legs, placing his glasses on his nose with a determined look in his glassy eyes. He peered up at the wall above him, looking at the ripple of magenta magic which tricked between the clouds. “Listen here, uh, Clouds!” John shouted, his nose crinkling up as he gathered his thoughts. “I wanted you to know I’m not going to show no mercy when I find out who you are! And Guys… if your still there… I promise, no matter what, I’m going to save you!”

John turned from the twisting clouds suddenly, no longer being able to watch them change with the flicker of magic, know that someone had purposely done what they did. Instead, he looked around, and took in his surroundings. The clouds surrounded everything, with the top opening up into the orange sky above, golden light shining through it. In front of John was a rock cut path that had gold swirls embedded into it. The path, which was lined with pillars of pearly stone and gold with blue, swirling tapestries, lead to a small, floating rock, which was tethered to the earth with vines. Above that one, a jump away, was another, which was attached to the previous rock and the earth. More and more rocks were attached to each other, and after a point they no longer attached to the ground, but to the base of the large, rock mass above them. 

John squinted up at the mass of rock, which had light blue, white and clear crystals jutting out of the pointed bottom in all odd angles. The light caught on theses crystals, making it harder for John to see what rested on it. No doubt the Temple, considering how mighty it looked from down here. John adverted his eyes from the floating, large mass to the smaller ones leading to it. He felt a smirk tug at his lips. This is going to be a piece of cake. John jogged over to the first floating rock, his smirk turning into a sad grin as he thought about what would have happened if anyone else got out instead of him. Rose would have a hell of a time climbing these vines, though she would probably find a way to do it easily. Dave probably do some awesome back flips and rad moves to get to the top. Terezi would just fucking fly (not like John’s going to do anything different). And Kankri and Karkat… well the one would say fuck it and the other would probably go to sweater town. 

John lifted his hands high above his head as he looked up, calling the wind to him. He was still pretty weak from his… outburst… but he could still do things in short bursts. Blue wing began to swirl around his hands in big circles, some of it flowing down his arm. He took a breath in, looked towards one of the higher rocks, maybe 5 metres in the air, and brought his arms down to his sides in seconds. The wind went with his arm too, and as he brought his arms down, he clamped his fists shut, the magic now pushing the air away from him like a powerful gust. The wind propelled him high, but not high enough. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, John thought with panic, almost there! His eyes had went wide as he realized he may not make the ledge, and so with one last burst of wind from his hands, he began to flail in the air, both hands no longer at his side but wailing about to catch the nearing ledge which came closer to his reach with that last push of power. His fingers caught it, and he held on for dear life as he was jeered to a stop. 

He looked down, soon realizing that he actually overshot the one he was aiming for, and that he was actually 10 or more metres in the air. Well shit. “Ohhohohhhhhhhhhooooook, nope, not happening.” John pulled himself up onto the rock with all the grace of a beached wall. A tug here, a shimmy there. When he finally got out of his whale like state, he stood again, wiping the dust from his pants as he looked up at the many, many rocks to go. Boy, he thought, this is going to be one hell of a climb. 

 

================================

 

One… more…. Pull…

John hauled himself up the last length of the long journey up the floating rocks, his belly now flat against the top of the large, hulking mass which stood at the top of the climb. It took him eternity to get here (ok, maybe he was being a BIT over dramatic, it took him more or less half an hour). He rolled onto his back, the golden sun now shining down in his face. Just great.

He was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath all while trying not to pass out from exhaustion. He was so focused on stopping himself from passing out from lack of oxygen, he didn’t notice the small, bird like creatures fluttering around him. He didn’t notice them until one landed on his nose and looked him directly in the eyes. These creatures were blue and gold and white, all different hues and shades, all of their eyes ranging from magenta to purple to pink. They had long, long tail feathers and fanned wings, but they were no bigger than John’s hand. They looked like humming birds, but the glow in its eyes and the knowledge within told John these were more like spirits than anything. The one on his opened its beak like it was going to peep, or chirp, or whatever sound these bird creatures would make. Instead, the sound it released sounded like a wind chime blowing in the breeze. Another followed its sound with a lower pitched tune, and then another with a higher one. Soon all of the bird spirit things(?) joined in on a harmonious song of chimes in the breeze. John smiled slightly at the site for a second, until he realized whatever these things were, they were either responsible for taking his friends, or they knew who was. As if sensing the shift in his mood, the spirit on his nose took flight instantaneously, shooting up into the air with one last chime, out of John’s reach.

The other’s followed in quick succession as John scrambled to his feet. “Hey! Wait! Stop!” John shouted at them as they flew down the golden path, which, just like before, was lined by pillars, both broken and stable. Only now trees of light brown and crisp green hung their branches about the pathway. John ran after the bird like spirits as they lead him towards the temples entrance, his breath once again escaping him by the time he came to the stairs of the temple. John hunched over, gasping, with his head feeling light due to the lack of proper oxygen at this altitude. He peered up from under his bangs, up towards the temple stairs, where the bird like spirits seemed to be waiting. 

Behind them was a very, very old woman.

Her hair was a pale teal and blue, different shades mixed together in flowing curls which resembled mist, the end of which hung around her hips. He dress hung off her shoulders, a sky blue corset with gold and white stitching was partly hidden under white clouds which curled around his arms from the top of her dress and hung slightly at the front before flowing down her back. The bottom of her down was bright, sunshine gold shifting into bright sky blue once more before turning to a white mist that dispersed along the ground. The long sleeves of her dress shared the gold to blue shine, with the ends large like one of the ancient kimonos of the eastern water folk which John had heard a few stories about when he was a child. Around her waist hung 3 large, gold and light brown wood strands which draped down to a large, twisting horn. Her eyes was a startling magenta which were bright with wisdom and secrecy. 

That thought reminded John of Rose, and the sparks in the clouds which took his friends.

He feeling of relief upon seeing another person vanished with the realization that this was no person, this was some sort of spirit, and possibly the one that took his friends. 

She and the small sprites seemed to have sensed his shift in attitude, as the small creatures shifted quickly like one being to hide behind the woman, whose own expression changed to one that was somehow understanding, compassionate, but held traces of smugness that came with knowing more than those around you.

John began angry once more. 

“Who are you??” John shouted as he straighten up, standing with his fist clenched in the air in a fighting stance, ready to defend himself if this bitch tried anything. “What did you do to Rose, and Jade, and Dave, and- and-!” John was so angry his felt his face on fire. He probably looked like a tomato with how red his face must be. “UGH! Just what do you want from us?!”

The woman began to float- no, John thought as he watched her move, she was gliding- through the air, down the stairs, towards him. His fists clenched tighter and the wind began to pick up around him, a warning. The woman stopped 3 steps from the bottom, her face in a warm smile.

“Hello, you must be John Egbert.” Her voice sounded a calm breeze on a summer’s day. “We’ve been waiting many years for you, since the goddess of light breathed her last breath with the rest of her children. Since the prophecy was engraved in stone with their blood. Since- well, you get the picture.” 

Her voice changed suddenly to sound like a girl no older than himself, and suddenly her body began shifting before him, and he felt like he was going back in time. She went from an old woman, to maybe the age of his father, to a young adult, before she finally stopped changing to rest at what looked to be a 16 year old girl. Her clothes shifted to fit her, something John is thankful for, because that would be a very awkward encounter if they didn’t.

“I apologize for that,” She said as she smoothed down her dress, before locking eyes with him, “I assumed that changing my look would help with this conversation. Though by your magic I can tell that didn’t work. Oh well.” She shrugged nonchalantly, and John was still at a loss for words. She smiled at him, and he was suddenly snapped out of his muteness. His eyes glared daggers into her. 

“What did you do?!” He demanded, advancing 2 stairs to stare up at her with a look that could kill. “What did you do to my friends??! Where are they and why did you take them?”

Her smile faded into a serious look, her bright eyes darkening. “I took them to make sure you fulfill your task.” Without another word she turned around, once again moving up the stairs in an effortless motion, the sprites behind her parting as she moved towards them to the temple. One by one the sprites turned towards him, letting out a small, questioning chime, as if to ask him “are you going to follow her?” What more could he do? She was the one that knew where his friends were, and he couldn’t leave in a fit of rage when he didn’t know what was being done to them.

He followed silently, walking up the large stair case before crossing the threshold of the temple which was marked by two large, thick pearl pillars with carving of some sort of ancient battle on them, one skull on each, with the one on the left having a 6 point spiral below it, each point branching off into rays of golden light, though much of the pillar is cracked and destroy, and John chalked it up to magic being what held the roof up. The right pillar, on the other hand, was strong, and had what looked to be a gear below the menacing skull, but instead of rays of golden light coming from the gear, black cracks emanated from it, which snaked their way up the pillar and wrapped around the base. It appeared to be the only spot of black in the temple, and it sent a shiver down John’s spine when he looked into the skulls eyes. They continued to walk down a pillar lined room, over the soft brown and gold stone floor, between the large, white walls which were lined with gold trim and beige stone work which told a story. From the bits that John saw from the corner of his eye, it was a story of siblings and their rivalry, and the last 2 giant panels, which were on either side of the two towering doors at the end of the chamber, showed a gruesome battle. The woman, girl, spirit thing stopped before these light brown doors, turning towards John, who was peering at these carving. In it he could see millions of half-bloods and full-fledged mythological creatures rushing towards a menacing creature which appeared to be towering over the mountain which they were at now, a heart in his hand and a mangled body as large as his at his feet. When John looked closer he could make out Dave’s parents, who they saw in the void, on the ground next to a massive Dragon and someone who resembled Terezi, only her wings were much broader and her armor larger. Above them he saw The Summoner and his people, and in front of them was Mindfang and the Arachni. 

John’s eyes widen as he saw that these peoples only took up a small portion of the whole picture, as there was many other half-blood species there are well. John also saw other creatures which he never heard of before, and then he saw her. The woman in front of him now in full battle armor, leading an army of huge, winged beings with deathly looking claws and sharp eyes and beaks. She looked young in the picture, but not as young as she was portraying herself to be now. She let out a small laugh, drawing his attention to her. “Yes, I do look quite different, don’t I?” She said with a laugh, and when John looked around at the small creatures around him who spoke like wind chimes, she continued in amusement. “No, those are not the ones who followed me into battle, but they are their decedents. These ones are still young, but there are others of their kind here, who protect this place if the one of evil ever returned.” 

Her voice dropped its amused tone at the last few words, a grim expression on her face. John grimace as he added “Which he has…”.

She looked at him with squared shoulders. “Yes, yes he has, which is the only reason why you’re here, isn’t it?” Her voice sounded sad and sorrowful, and by the look on her face, in her eyes, he no longer just saw an old woman or a young girl, or even a shapeshifter. He saw a grief-stricken soul who has fought through hell and witnessed things no person should ever witness, all with the knowledge that she must do it all over again with his and his friends’ arrival centuries later.

“You’re only here because the prophecy calls for it, and your arrival tells me Caliborn has broken free of his prison.” The mere mention of his name sent the young sprites fleeing to the top of the high ceiling, which was curved and had stain glass windows of every colour lining it’s base. She looked up at them as she began to turn around, her movements sharp and forced as she turned away and opened the large doors. Beyond the doors was floating plate form, and beyond that? A shifting maze with what appeared to be no end, with high, grey stone walls that held up a series of stone bares which prevented anyone from leaving the maze at the top. John watched in astonishment as a gust of wind rushed through the outside of the maze, sending several paths in the maze to shift and totally different directions, and he could faintly hear a few muffled curses coming from one of the moved hallways. No doubt that that string of curses came from none other than Karkat Vantas. John gaped at the spirit who stared dutifully out at the shifting maze. 

“They’re in THERE? What- why?” John asked in disbelief, “Why would you put them in there? Though I’m not complaining, that’s a lot better than what I expected to be happening to them…” John trailed off, hoping she would catch his drift. She gaze did not change as another gust of wind shifted the ever changing maze. 

“Believe me, if you think they are safe in the maze, they are not.” John felt his heart seize as she continued. “They must be constantly moving, as the wind and the maze are one, and knows where they are all the times. If they stop to take a break of any kind, the maze will box them in, sealing them off from escape, before closing the ceiling completely and taking the air from the cell. They would then die in less than two minutes. I had told them this when I first placed them in this maze. They have been on the move since.”

John grew angry again. “Why did you do that?! What is the point of trying to kill them so I ‘fulfill’ a task I know nothing about?! THIS IS SO STUPID-!” Before John could continue the platform beneath him separated, and he was falling into the maze.  
He hit the ground hard, a jolt of pain shooting through his side and up to his head. His vision faded and swayed before him, but in moments he was to his feet. John steadied himself against the wall as she blinked to clear his head, and when he peered down the long narrow stretch of maze before him, he only saw fleeting rays of light which filtered through the ceiling. John turned to look up at the guardian which had trapped him here, but she was no longer there, and the ceiling of the maze had now passed over. He was trapped.

“Oh for the love of- uggghhh!!!!” John kicked the wall in frustration, and in retaliation the wind howled and the maze shifted. John had to grab onto the wall once more are he was propelled forward in his small cube, the air rushing past his face as the maze move furiously to trap everyone in a new spot. John fumbled forward once it stopped, groaning lighting as he felt a jolt of pain got through his side again. This was perfect, absolutely fricking perfect. Everyone was trapped in a killer maze that only John could stop, only he didn’t know how, and if anyone dies it’s all because of him and his stupid windy powers. John sighed at the thought, a stroke of panic rushing through him as he looked around. He was no longer in a long, narrow hallway, but he was now in a shorter one, with the end before him turning left, and the one behind him separating into a T. He frowned as he walking towards the left turn, and he would have totally ignored the pictures on the wall if it weren’t for a soft breeze that came from his side.  
When he turned he saw images of people being trapped in the maze and dying or using magic. They were rough sketches, but it was easy to tell who was dying by the scratched out eyes, and who was alive by the blank face. It showed one person calling out, and in the next image it showed their hand “glowing”, and whatever they said being carried by the wind to someone else in another cube. John stopped to study the drawing more carefully, maybe even decipher the weird words below it, but in an instant the wind howled and the floor below him began to move. John saw behind him being cut off, and he barely caught sight of the other walling coming to box him in. He quickly leapt to his left, where he just barely landed in another moving cube as it whizzed by. 

John gasped as the cube came to a jerking halt, and as soon as it was steady, he rushed to his feet. He began to walk quickly, and he huffed out in frustration.

“Hey! Anyone there?!” A faint cry in the distance.

John perked up at that small voice. Hell yeah! He found someone! Finally! “Yeah!!! I’m here!!” 

“John?” A Returning echo, no doubt Jade, “How did you-?”

Before she could finished their feet gave out from under them as the cubes shifted again. Oh my god this was annoying, John thought as he hit the wall. He took in a deep breath and called out. “JADE!!”

Silence answered him. Fuck.

John thought back to the picture on the wall. The person was cupping their hands in front of their mouth as they spoke. Maybe…

John brought his hands up, never missing a step, and took a deep breath. His hands glowed a bright blue as he shouted into them “ANYBODY THERE?!” The resulting effect was instantaneous.

At the small opening in his hands a turbulent gust of wind shot forth from his hands, a resonating “anybody there?!” echoing from it. John stumbled back at it intensity. “Holy…” John breathed, but it was short lived as in the next moment the turbulent wind returned, many voices carried upon it.

“What the-?” Dave.

“OH BLU3B3RRY HOW N1C3 OF YOU-?” Terezi.

“John is that you-??” Jade.

“HOLY FUCK LEARN TO CALM TO FUCK DOWN YOU FUCKTARD DON’T FUCKING SCARE ME LIKE THAT YOU ASS-!” Definitely Karkat.

“My, that was surprising-.“ Rose.

“Please t9ne it d9wn y9ung Eg6ert, my ears are ringing-.” Kankri.

John had to hold his ears, as all of them came at once. Holy shit that was loud. John could only protect his ears for so long, as the block he was in moved with the rest of the temple as the wind shifted it once more. 

The loud voices were replaced by the thunder from the temples shifting, the wind which carried his friends scared and surprised voices vanishing. John didn’t realize that he had been in one spot for too long, and it was only when he saw himself getting boxed in did he jump forward onto a moving block, avoiding the final wall which would have led to him demise. John jumped to his feet as soon as the world stopped spinning (literally!) around him and got his bearings. John gave an annoyed huff. Why do they always end up in life threatening situations?? Whatever the cause, John knows he can’t sit around and wait to get into more trouble. 

As he walked, he tried calling out to his friends again, sending another gust of wind outwards with the message: “Guys! This is John! Are you guys alright?!”

Almost as soon as he sent it, like last time, the responding wind was nearly instant.

“Yeah dude-,“ Dave’s voice came on the wind with a hushed tone, like it had gotten farther away.

“OF COURS3!” Terezi responded, only hers sounded loud compared to Daves.

“John what’s goi-,” “LISTEN HERE EGBERT, IF YOU DON’T GET US OUT OF HERE SOON I WILL FIND YOU IN THIS GOD AWFUL MAZE AND I’ll-!!” Poor Jade, cut off but Karkles, but both of their messages were pretty much the same: get us out of here. 

“John, I think it would be best to make a plan-,” Rose intoned, her voice also seemingly closer as well.

“I th9ught I t9ld y9u t9 6e m9re quiet…” Kankri said, obviously irritated, but he sounded further away like Dave.

John rolled his eyes. At this rate, they’ll never get anything done with one another cutting the others off. He sighed, but had his brow set in determination as he let out another shout be carried by the wind. “Guy! I need you to speak one at a time! Dave, you first!”

The wind that came back was quieter, with only a few mumbles by the others as Dave’s voice boomed. “Uh, I don’t know what to say dude, other than this is some fucked up shit. And how the hell did you get here? I thought you es-,“ Dave’s message was cut off with the last of the wind leaving, but John knew what it was. Shit… how does he tell them that they are possibly trapped in a murderous maze because he needs to “full fill” some dumb stupid prophecy? Ugh!

Another gust of wind shifted the temple, and the delicate balance between shouting with wind and receiving the answering calls while not getting trapped began.

“Yeah, it’s pretty messed up! And I got here because the wind spirit, person, thing? Whatever, took me here and told me I need to learn to use my powers better to get all of you guys out of here! Also, Rose please let talk now!” John shouted, hating how out of breath he was. John was out of breath, and he narrowed his eyes as a gust of wind came back towards him.

This was going to be awhile…

=================================

After a few more rounds of “Catch your breath and get out of dodge”, a few shouting objections and input from Karkat, a few NICER ones from Rose, and general information from the others, John was able to find, surprisingly, very little out about the temple. All he was able to find out from the others, mainly Dave (because he is surprisingly good at keeping time), that over the course of the pass hour, the shifts in the temple have becoming more and more frequent, with everyone having more close calls to getting trapped and… 

John shook his head as the latest shift ended, feeling as if the previous one was only a few minutes ago. John felt sick with how his lungs burned and his throat rasped, but he knew he had to continue. He sucked in another large breath before he was interrupted by the magenta eyed spirit that put them in this temple in the first place.

“Uh, kids? I’m sorry to say this but your time is running out. Better start using your magic John and start getting everyone out of there!” The voice was heard like a soft breeze through the temple, and John could see through a slight hole in the top of the ceiling that very being floating above the maze, the other’s eyes locked on his. John fumed. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT POWERS YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!! WHY CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!” His voice was scratchy, and it hurt to shout at her, but he needed to, because he was pissed at her and this maze for wanting to harm his friends. The temple shifted again and John had to move to stay from getting boxed in. He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and shouted out towards the rest of the temple, towards his friends. “Rose, Terezi, Kankri, whoever! Use your Seer powers! Try and see what I have to do! Please, I don’t know what to do guys I need help, please!” The wind that came back was jumbled with speakers, all frantic and panicked, but the one voice that stood out.

Or should he say… 

A quiet cry for help.

From Jade.

Jade!

“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, no, no, no!” John began to yell, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes, because fuck, he didn’t know what to do, how to save his cousin, he didn’t even know how to save himself. He looked around, frantically for anything that could help him help Jade. He looked towards the walls, because they had given him answers before, but the pictures were blurring in his teary vision and his breath was quickening, and something was glowing blue and the wind was picking up but he didn’t care because he needed to FIND JADE! 

The last thing he saw before he was racing through the tunnels as hurricane speeds, no longer a solid form, was an image of someone turning into the wind.

He realized he was the wind, right there and right now, and even though he couldn’t control the temple itself, he sure as hell wasn’t going to sit back and watch it kill everyone he loves. He remember seeing blurs of the others pass by him, but at the moment he didn’t care because he was focused on saving Jade. The wind (himself?) brought him to a closed off square, which was shaking from blow upon blow from someone’s fist trying to break through. John rematerialized next to the cube, and found he now had sea legs, as he was having trouble standing upright and needed to support himself on the nearby wall. “Jade! Jade are you ok?!” John shouted at the cube, knocking twice to see if he could get a response. 

“Uh, I think so! But it’s getting a little stuffy in here and I think the airs starting to leave!” She sounded petrified, and it broke John’s heart. “John? How am I going to get out…?” John’s mind began racing, and he began waving his arms around as he spoke even though no one was around to see. “Uhhh, don’t waste your air? Maybe don’t talk a lot? Uh, I’ll figure something out! Jade, knock on the wall twice if you understand and once if you don’t. And if you’re in real trouble then, um, constantly bang on the wall! Ok?”

Two knocks, good.

He peered around at the walls around him, then at the cube, and he noticed something strange. The walls of the cube looked similar to the ones in the maze, but each side had a different image that look like the ones around the maze, with a few John hasn’t seen yet!

The first image was image of the person using the magic to carry the words to their partners, with the next being the wind returning to them. The Third stone picture showed one of them being boxed in, and dying. The fourth showed the one with the glow-y hands dissipating and reappearing outside the temple near what looked to be a horn of some sort. The next image was the person blowing the horn, and their dying friend being set free.

Maybe that horn was the relic they were looking for? 

The ravenette’s blue eyes seared into the rock, hoping it would give him more answers. Ok, so he knew he had to get this horn thing, blow it, and save the day. But he could only do that if he knew where the horn was! He knew where Jade was because he had been talking to them with the wind, but this horn? It could be half way across the temple or buried under their feet and he wouldn’t even notice! He turned and leaned against the cube, rubbing his temples in frustration. He concentrated… if he was a magical horn, where would he be? Where would a magical artifact be?

The temple shifted again, and he grabbed a hold of one of Jade’s cube walls, hanging on in hopes that he wouldn’t lose her again. When the world came to a screeching halt, he hit his head against the wall.  
It was then that John’s eyes went wide as he recalled a recent memory.

What.

A.

Bitch.

He turned and yelled through the walls, “Jade! Are you still ok?!” 

Two knocks.

“Ok, good! I need to go right now! I-“ 

“Wait! John! You’re going to leave me trapped in here???” Jade did not sound impressed, and a bit wheezy, and John was actually a bit glad there was a an impenetrable maze wall between them, or he was sure Jade would have spent no time kicking his ass for even saying he was going to leave her like this. 

“Jade please trust me, I know to get you out of here! But I need to leave to do it! I promise I’ll get you out of there!” He pleaded with her, and even though he knew she was going to refute, he turned to leave, ignoring her voice raising in argument. John walked 3 feet before he stopped, closed his eyes and concentrated.

Feel the breeze between your fingers and over your skin, the wind in your hear and how it whispers to you in your ear. Feel the wind wrap you in its embrace.

And become it.

And so John became the breeze that would flow between his fingers and over his cheek, he became the wind that would whoosh through his thick black hair, and he turned the wind’s whisper into shouts.

He felt himself race through the whole maze, and as he passed his friends when the maze began to shift, he saw them, one by one, get trapped, and he heard their pleas for help, and he heard Jade’s breath escaping her. He knew he couldn’t fail.

And with the temple shifting, he was able to follow the wind that changed it to its exit. He followed it up and up, out of the maze and into the open air, the impenetrable mass of clouds still swirling around them. The blue, glowing wind which was now a certain John Egbert went speeding towards the spirit of the temple, and the oriental, twisted horn, which was now glowing a bueish hue. 

He found himself coming together and reforming, his hand outstretched with blue wisps coming from it as if he was having a hard time staying together at this speed. The Spirit turned just as John grabbed the horn, and John would say the look of surprise on her face was priceless. In an instant he found himself skidding across the balcony that he and the spirit entered from, the conch tuck safety in the nook of his arms. When John felt solid ground beneath him, he swayed to his feet, the horn at the ready to be blown and do whatever a horn does. When John looked up towards the floating spirit, he didn’t see rage or anger that her precious horn was taken, but rather he saw adoration and pride that a mother would have. He didn’t know why, but he felt his anger towards her lessen slightly.

The horn called back his attention though, and with the memory of his friends suffering, he brought the swirling masterpiece to his lips and blew as hard as he could, and from the horn came a great light and wind.

The shining, white wind from the horn swirled towards the thunderous clouds around them, sending the dark clouds dispersing, the moon and stars shinning where they once stood. The bright wind that went towards the maze engulfed it, the rock around the cubes crumbling to dust to be swirled in the wind. The cubes which held his friends opened up into platforms, each person huddled near one of the corners as they rose into the air to be leveled with the spirit. John smiled, and began sobbing, because hell yeah, he just saved everyone.

Or at least he thought so until he heard Rose’s cry “Oh my god! Jade!”

Jade, the first to get trapped,

The first to run out of air.

John flew up to Jades platform as fast as he could, the other platforms soon connecting on by one, with everyone racing over to Jade’s. Jade was laying limp on the ground, her arms wrapped around herself as if to comfort herself. John couldn’t feel his body, and he blindly moved beside his cousin, crashing to his knees as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tight as he could.

“No…. no, no, no, no, no, please don’t be gone Jade, oh my god, please don’t be dead, I’m so sorry…” John was a blubbering mess, and if he looked up now, he would be seeing Dave, one of the most stoic people in their group, shedding tears and hugging Rose. John fucked up, and He fucked up badly. He is the reason why she’s dead. 

John pulled back and looked down at Jade’s pale face. “I’m so… so sorry Jade, I… I’m so sorry I’m the worst cousin ever, oh my god… I-” 

It was then that Jade’s hand, which was laying at her side, came up and punched John in the cheek so hard, he tasted blood and was pretty sure she gave him a black eye. Everyone in the group let out a scared shriek (John was pretty sure the highest pitch was from Dave), and jumped at least 3 feet away. John would have if Jade didn’t grab his collar right after and hold him there, making him look her in the face, her eyes barely open.

“John… so fucking help me…. If you pull…. Any more shit like that…. I will make you… regret it… forever.” Her actions spoke of a pissed off cousin, but her expression was full of relief, and even though she just decked him, John hugged her as tightly as possible, and she did the same back.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??? WE THOUGHT YOU WERE ALL DEAD AND THEN YOU SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF US?! THAT IS THE MOST PETTY, ASSHOLE FUCKING MOVE I HAVE EVER SEEN HARELY! SO HELP I WILL FUCKING-!” The evidently pissed off kat was quickly quieted by bother Terezi and Kankri, one holding him back from breaking up the heartwarming reunion, and one shutting his pie hole. 

“Awwww, that is sooooo sweet of you guys to make up!! Although it waaaas a bit violent.” 

Everyone went dead silent, and they slowly turned their heads to the floating figure in front of John and Jade. John looked around at his friends and saw each one was equally pissed and ready to beat the spirit to a pulp. And although in light of recent events, she does deserve it, John has a better plan.

Right before the dragon eyed Dave could lunge for her, John got up and rushed in front of her Just as Dave pounced forward. John caught the brunt of the blow, and with their momentum, both boys went off the platforms and began falling, although not for long. John was laughing as Dave was wrapping his arms around him like a cat trying not to fall in water, with both boys gliding back up to everyone. 

“Why the hell did you do that John?? Like dude, I know you can fly and all, and we’re totally close bros who love to have bro hugs, but having a bro hug while falling isn’t the best thing in the world.” Dave deadpanned as John set him down with everyone else. John giggled, smiling cheerfully at Dave and spoke without thinking. “Well yeah, falling sucks all the time!! Unless it’s my heart falling for you. Then it’s not so-,” John snapped his mouth shut faster than lightening, and both he and Dave turned beet red. John found himself turned a darker crimson when he heard the other’s laughing at him, and oh my god, why when he finally came to the conclusion he liked Dave, he couldn’t stop thinking about it (Why. Was. He. So. Gaaaaaay.?!)! Dave coughed, clearing his throat. “Like… falling for me like a best bro? or-,” John cut off Dave quickly, trying to clear up his mistake of secretly telling how he felt only not so secretly. “Yeah! Yeah! Like the bestest bros ever, year…” Dave’s expression was unreadable, and John felt something sting in his heart. With awkwardness hanging in the air, Rose became the life saver. “Excuse me, we do have other, ahem, problems on our hand currently, including how to handle this situation.” Everyone looked relieved to have the subject changed, and Karkat looked like he was about to go on another long, cursed filled rant. 

Even though she tried to kill them, John believed she had her reasons, so she should At LEAST let them know them.

“Ok, ok wait! Before anyone starts on a rant or trying to kill this lady, let me just explain a few things!” John raised his hands and motioned towards the lady with Magenta eyes, “She fought alongside Dave’s parents and the other half blood people, including Calliope! She didn’t want to harm you guys! … Oh don’t give me that look, I know she locked us in a giant killer maze and all… but, uh, she had to do it so I could… uh… do this!” 

John disappeared into the wind, and couldn’t help but smile when he saw everyone looking around for him. And when John spotted Dave being totally oblivious, he couldn’t resist a prank! Although last time it ended with John kissing Dave on the cheek....   
What could go wrong? 

Reappearing behind Dave, John made a “shoooooosh” gesture towards everyone who could see him, and then he proceeded to grab the bottom of Dave sweater and pull it over his head, causing an uproar among the others, majority of who were giggling or laughing as Dave flailed about like an adorable, unknowing itty bitty dragon.

“OH, OK, SO ALL SHE TAUGHT YOU WAS HOW TO BE AN EVEN BIGGER DICKWAD, HOW NICE OF HER. I SHOULD GIVE HER THE AWARD FOR BIGGEST ASSHOLE FUCKING MORON EVER.” Karkat groaned, glaring at the spirit while she, too, laughed at John’s antics. “John, dude, seriously? Help a bro out!” Dave was obviously smirking under the sweater pulled over his face from the sound of his voice, and John caved. “Fiiiiiine.” He rolled his blue eyes as he flew over Dave, pushing the sweater down enough to make eye contact with the half blood boy. 

He smile. “Hi.”

Dave smiled back. “Hey Dork.”

When John Didn’t move, Dave flailed about till John backed off enough from him to put his sweater fully on. John floated a bit higher in the air, just in case Dave tried to retaliate, but to John’s surprise, he saw Dave’s expression shift to something more pained, only for a second. The boy then turned to the spirit, away from John, his arms crossed. “Soooo…. You’re the chick that trapped us, all so that John could improve his powers?” She nodded. “Ok, seems legit-,” Dave held up a hand to prevent the others from protesting as he continued, “-But just to let you know, the only reason why I’m not tearing you to shreds right now is because the blue eyed dork over there trusts you and says you’re cool. And since, you, uh, knew my parents I guess…” Dave quieted, but no one seemed to mind, and even though John wanted to pry at the topic, the look Rose gave him told him that would be for another time. 

“Ah, well, I’m glad that John, the Hero of Breath, trusts me then!” Her eyes were bright with awe and accomplishment. She gestured towards the balcony, a series of platforms rising to create stairs to it appearing after. “Now, I believe we must discuss some war plans.” War plans?! 

John presumed that his face said what he was thinking, and probably others as well, because her look went sorrowful, and she nodded. “Yes, war plans. This is not a simple fight between a small group of people, and it is not an isolated incident. Caliorn has an army, and many allies still in this world, who are aiding him in becoming stronger. To take him out, we will need to get into contact with other spirits, and other leaders of the mythical realm, and prepare for war.” Her face was stone cold, and when she turned to walk away, down to the temple, everyone looked towards one another, one look being shared between them all.

What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into?

**Author's Note:**

> P.S. don't forget to Comment!!!!!


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